The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-09-03

Montreal, Sept 3.-William H. Taft,
in an address last night before the an
nual meeting of the American Bar AS
sociation returned to one of the issues
of the campaign in which he was de-
feated for reelection as President of
the United States and advocated
greater independence of the judiciary.
His subject was "The Selection and
Tenure of Judges" He argued that
judges should be appointed instead
of elected and that they should hold
office for life.
"The greater the independence of
the courts" said Mr.. Taft, "the strong
er their influence, and the more satis-
factory their jurisdiction and the ad-
ministration of justice. In popular
government the most difficult prob
lem Is to determine a satisfactory
method of selecting the member of its
: judicial branch"
Selection of judges by appointment,
/ he declared did not altogether deprive
the people of this right THE selec-
tion can be readily popular without
resorting to an election. The chief
executive elected by the people to rep
resent them in executive work does,
in appointing a judge, execute the
popular will. He can search among
the members of the bar and can inform
himself thoroughly as to the one best
qualified. Generally he has sources OF
information, both of an open and
confidential character and II he Is not
himself lawyer or personally familiar
with the qualifications of the candi-
date he has an encouragement and
other competent advisers to aid him
in the task. For these reasons, in
every country of the world, except in
the Cantons of Switzerland and the
United States, judges are appointed
and not elected"
Mr.. Taft admitted that the United
States had many able judges by cleo
ion; but, he pointed out, in many
states the practice prevailed of re-
electing good judges without contest.
Any good that might have been deriv-
ed from the elective system, however,
promised to be lost, he asserted with
the more general adoption Of the d.
rect nomination system.
Like all the candidates for office
TO be elected under such conditions
judges" he said, ARE expected to con-
duct their own canvass for their nomi-
nation, to pay the expenses Of their
own candidacy In the primary, and in
80 far as any special effort Is to be
made In favor of their nomination and
election. they are to make II them
! selves. They are necessarily put In
the attitude of supplications before
: the people for perferment to judicial
/ places. Under the convention system
1t happened not infrequentfy, for rea
a sons have explained, that men wht
# we're not candidates we're nominated
l. for the bench. but now in no case car
the office seek the man. Nothinl
could more impair the quality of law
. yers available as candidates or ds
. preciate the standard Of the iudiciar!
= It has been my official duty to loo
. into the judiciary of eash state, in m
. search for candidates to be appointe
. to Federal iudgeships. and affirr
= without hesitation that in states whel
. many of the elected judges in the pa
. have had high rank the introductic
= of nomination, Sy direct primary hi
. distinctly injured the character of Il
= bench for learning, courage and abilii
= azx.<cnz<GHe ON Page Four.)