The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1914-02-11
JUDICIARY BILL
Decision Sustaining Elective Judici-
AIRY Providing for Judges
Election.

laLlVG machinery was put In motion
this afternoon, following the de-
cision of the Supreme Court carrier
in the day sustaining the validity
of the elective judiciary amend
ment to the Constitution. to pro-
vide for the Immediate election of
every circuit and chancery court
judge in the State. Senator Bur-
kilt. of Chickasaw. this afternoon
drafted a bill providing for an
election for the judges of the cir
cult and chancery courts within
thirty days after the passage of the
act.
| The bill further provides that the
Judges who are elected at the
Especial election shall hold Office
until Jan /, 1918, and that their
successors shall be elected at an
election held on Tuesday, after the
first Monday IN November. 1917,
and every four years thereafter.
This provision will have the
effect of completely separating the
judicial elections from all other
elections. No other State or con-
gressIonaI candidates are to be vot-
ed for in 1917. that being an off
year.
The Burkitt bill provides that
the term of the present judges of
the circuit and chancery courts
shall terminate upon the election
and qualification of their success
sors. This will put every circuit
and chancery judge in the State off
the bench unless the present judges
can induce the people to re.elect
them.
NORTH CAROLINA PLAN.
Some of the members of the Sem
ate and House, in discussing the
election of judges tonight expressed
themselves in favor of engrafting
the North Carolina judiciary plan
into the laws Of Mississippi, North.
Carolina elects all of her circuit or
district judges. and. after the.
judges are elected by the people
the Supreme Court of that State.
assigns the judges to the districts
in which they shall hold court.
The North Carolina law further
provides that no judge can hold
court at the same place twice in
succession. The advocates of the
North Carolina plan declare that
the system WORKS well In that
State, and that it has resulted in
an independent and honest judi
ciary that has the respect and con-
fidenee Of the people.
The Leader would suggest that
the peripatetic plan for judges in
North Carolina obviates many fea-
lures of the Elective Judiciary"
amendment in action that might
become odious and hurtfuI as desira-
BILE as the measure is, The idea of
judges going about from district
to district to hold court would
stimulate in them a rare degree of
independence from personal infiu.
ences. individualism and backbone
and would discourage any attempt at
conniyance with them on the part
of the people. Undesirable person
al favor and obligation ! too often
expected would have 40 part with
the Judge elected in one district
and serving another. and still an
other. as his term advances.
This Carolina plan would do
more to elevate justice among the
people, to help to discriminate be-
tween right and wrong because it
Is right and wrong. and to make
the court judgment seat. than
any thing else presented at present
When personality can be lost
sight Of. principle begins to have
fair play and in case of a new
judge every time court convenes,
there would be nothing to count on
but his cold, unbiased rulings and
decisions among people compare
lively unknown to him and would
relieve the situation in ways that
laymen cannot fully understand.
The Leader favors the Carolina
plan because it does not believe
that the people. will choose
for the Judgeshlps the right men
in every Instance.
As to Chancellor Jones. of this
District we believe our people, in
case Of an election, will have the
intelligence and the sense of JUS
tice to elect him without dissent-
ing vote.