The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-10-26
n THE BABY IS CUTTING TEETH
USE
Mrs. WinsIow's Soothing Syrup
A SPLENDID REGULATOR
PURELY VEGETABLE-k0T NARCOTIC

Tu!eS ana regulations for the speedy
decision OF all cases. 1t provides
for nine justices and one chief JUS
tice; nine justices TO serve a term
OF six years each, TO be elected on
non-partsan ticket, that is, a
ticket that does not contain any
political name or hint. The chief
justice shall be elected for a term
of four years at the same time and
in the same manner as the governor,
to be selected in a political way,
on a political ticket, and in case OF
a vacancy, of course, to be appoint
ed by the governor The chief JUS
tice is given power to remove any
judge or judges who are inefficient,
and upon such suspension it shall
be the duty of the legislative au-
thority 10 investigate the conduct
Of the justice OF the supreme court
with view to impeachment. If
such legislative authority determines
that Impeachment proceedings shall
not be instituted the suspension of
said justice or judge shall then be
determined, and he shall not be
further suspended by said chief
justice for any cause heretofore
arising. The chief justice shall be
subject to impeachment for the same
cause and in the same manner as
other justices OF the supreme court
The chief justice shall also have the
power 40 determine whether there
shall be rendered opinions or mere
ly syllabi."
Weak Places Indicated.
The places in the two bills that
are weak are indicated but not am
plified. in this letter from their
author
In the legislative reform measure
the cumbersome method provided
for selecting fifteen men out of
body of eighty would probably lead
to combinations and the prostitution
of principles. The legislative power
of the commission of fifteen being
made as broad as that Of the legis-
lature, with one or two minor eX-
ceptions, and their acts being valid
only until the adjournment of the
legislature unless therefore ratified
by the latter body, would make a
confusion of laws which would OBJ
yiously muddle an already complex
situation. The provision of the bill
that attempts to accomplish the
transformation of bi-cameral legis-
lature into a single house and
commission of fifteen sets the task
OF selecting fifty of its members
by the house and thirty of its
members by the senate to form the
new Legislature, thus asking each
body to eliminate approximately one
half of its membership-some task
for an Oklahoma legislature.
Objections to the measure reform
ing the higher courts are obvious in
the provision that makes the chief
justice a sort of car of the court,
and, while eliminating the selection
of all the associate justices from
politics, make the chief justice a
political party selection in like man
ner as the governor is selected.
Some of the more vehement of the
objctors of this measure assert that
it is tantamount to electing one
justice on party ticket, and max
ing him the sole appellate tribunal
simply providing him with a corps
of law clerks, who shall at all times
do his bidding. While the law is
probably not as bad as that, it
seems to be generally objected to
by lawyers and jurists, even those
who seek some method of relieving
the people from the burdensome
and expensive delays of the courts.
While not a part of the court
bill, but attached to the legislative
bill, one little paragraph that is
likely to escape notice is of inter
est in considering the court provis-
ions. This is the provision in the
legislative bill that Art V, sec. SO,
shall be amended by adding: "EX
cept pending suits may be compro
missed upon the recommendation of
the attorney general and with the
approval of the governor" The
section thus amended is a provis
ion that the legislature shall have
no power to release or eXtinguish or
to authorize the releasing or eXtin-
gushing in whole or in part. the
Indebtedness, liabilities or obliga-
tions of any corporation or individual
to this state or any county or other
municiDal corDoration thereof" II