The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1914-10-08
FIVE JUDGES A NEEDLESS
EXPENSE

As the date of the general election
approaches the necessity of knowing
something definite regarding the men
and measures to be voted upon be-
comes more imperative to all those
who consider the right of franchise
privilege of value to be made the very
most OF by its judicious exercise. The
Globe is not one of those papers that
believes fanatically in the mysterious
sacredness of the state constitution ana
that 1t embodies all that is perfect, and
therefore should never be changed but
1t does believe that 1t should not be
meddled with unless there are the very
best OF reasons TO so doing, and those
reasons should be so presented to the
mind of the voter that he will see
them clearly and be thoroughly con-
WINGED in his own judgment that he is
contributing to the general good by
assisting to make the change.
Certainly no such reason can be Of
fered at this particular time for the
elevation OF two additional judges to the
supreme bench of Idaho at an added
expense of $4,000 year. Everybody
Is now talking in favor of economy and
retrenchment in personal. municipal.
county and state expenses. Yet we
have presented to us at this inauspi-
cious time a proposition to throw u.s.
600 into the political pot without the
first satisfactory reason being given for
so doing. Who Is advocating the five
judge proposition? Has any state can
didate you know of the temerity tn do
so7 The Globe has made some investi-
CATION of this matter. believing its
readers should be advised of the facts
that they might vote intelligently and
for their best interests.
II is well known fact that TWO
judges have done the bulk of the work
for several years, for the simple rea-
son that Judge Stewards health has
kept him from the bench great deal
of the time, and when there he has
been shielded by his associates from
the more arduous duties. In spit. of
this fact only something like fifty-four
cases were continued July 18th, when
the court adjourned for the summe. va
cation. A dozen o" more OF those cases
have been heard by two judges and
owing to disagreement they are still
there for rehearing; had the three
Judges been there they would have be en-
disposed of. The entire list of cases
on the docket when court opened Sep
tember ii numbe: ed only ninety me.
and can be disposed of in three months
by three wide-awake men who are
willing to earn their salaries. Accord
ing to the record of past Justices the
man who cannot write two opinions a
week would be considered q light-w. :ght
and should not be placed on the bench
at all. Think of it, Mr.. and Mrs. Voter.
ninety-one cases o, the docket and ask
ing for two more judges at an uddi-
tional cost to you of $4,000 to help
divide the arduous duties; duties which
have been well handled by three JUG ges
In the past. And who Is calling for
these extra judges? 1t isn't the SUI
preme court itself. The members have
never made such a demand. 1t Genes
from other sources. II there vera five
judges even. 1t isn't likely matters
would be materially expedited, for when
the cases are all set. often the at
torneys cannot be gotten into court tc
argue them, and perhaps a third will
be dismissed.
There is absolutely no necessity fol
two more judges and 1t would be a
gross imposition upon the taxpayers Of
the state, who are already heavily bur-
dened to place this added expense upon
their shoulders Only about one citi.
zen in five thousand ever has a case
in the supreme court or is interested
in a supreme court case.
The Globe would say by all means
swat amendment No. three. which pro-
vides for the tive additional supreme
judges; and also deal the one giving
state officers a four year term. a like
solar plexus blow when you seek the
privacy of your booth on Nov. 3rd