Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-08-14
.N0N-PARTIsAN JUDICIARY
Attorney Fred B. Fowler, of Wau-
seOn, Ohio, A Candidate For Com
mon Pleas Judge For Fulton Coun-
ty, By Independent Petition.
To the voters of Fulton County:

Fulton County, Ohio, at the comm,
election, l consider it highly fittinJ
and proper to call the attention of tn
voters to the fact that the Judiciar,
in Ohio has been taken out of poll
tics. No candidate for any of ou
judicial positions can appear upol
any party ticket for the election thi
fall, but instead, all candidates fol
Judicial offices shall appear upon /;
separate non-partisan Judicial bal
lot. Up to and until recent reforms
enacted by our Legislature, it hat
been the practice of political partie.
to nominate candidates for the sew
eral Judicial offices in Ohio, and ther
through party organizations, make
direct appeal to party voters and par
ty prejudices for the election Of such
candidates, regardless of their qualifi.
cations, or lack of qualifications anc
fitness for the position. And how
frequently have the voters gone to
the polls and thus elected candidates
to these high positions of trust, who
were and are mere stool-pigeons fol-
certain lawyers at their bars, and are
influenced and guided by cliques OF
individuals whose sole object in life
is to defeat justice, rather than to
promote and obtain it for litigants,
Is it any wonder that the Judiciary
has been much criticised in the past,
and that the people have become dis
trustful of our Courts, and its deci-
sions, and that they have lost, and
are still losing respect for them
This fact is most unfortunate indeed,
and to be deplored by every good citi-
zen For our Courts are very i'm
portant factor in our Government; in
fact the bulwark of our liberty, and
without which we would be in state
Of chaos and anarchy. And it is the
duty of every good and patriotic citi-
zen to, see to it that they elect law
yers of honesty and integrity to the
bench, and thereby place our judi
ciary above and beyond public criti-
cism. For, as a rule, a lawyer will
make no better Judge upon your
bench, than he is a lawyer at your
bar. If a candidate should be dis
honest lawyer at your bar, it is but
fair to presume that he will be dis
honest Judge upon your bench. If a
candidate is an incompetent lawyer at
YOUR bar, he will be an incompetent
Judge upon your bench. If he is in
competent upon your bench, then by
necessity, he will be compelled to
seek counsel from those who will find
it convenient to direct him. Hence,
such Courts decision would ever be
guided by evil influences, and who
could hope to obtain justice at the
hands of such a Court. The people
should waste no time in knocking, or
in finding fault with the law, for the
law is lust; it is the wisdom of God,
coming down to us through the ages,
as harmonized by the wisdom of man
the centuries of modern
civilization. If the people do not OBJ
tain Justice at the hands OF our
Courts, it is not the fault of the law,
but the fault of those whom the peo-
nle have chosen to administer it. Who
then is to blame, is it not the people
And does it not behoove
the people to be candid and consider
ate and in the election of their Judg-
es, to lay aside politics, and act with
greater wisdom.
For the purpose of bringing about
the reforms in our Judiciary which
has so long been needed, the Legisia-
ture has taken the Judiciary out of
politics, and created separate non-
partisan ballot for the election. OF all
Judges. But as the writer believes,
through an oversight in bringing
about this needed reform, the leglsla-
,ure omitted to amend the primary
avs in this respect, and candidates
for Judicial offices can, if they see mt
q take advantage of it, still go be-
lore party primaries for the nomina-
Jon for such offices. Yet such can
Iidate's good faith in doing SO could
easily be brought into question, for
lis very purpose in doing so is to de-
'eat the spirit and purpose of the law
,aking the Judiciary out of politics.
And his very object in seeking the
nomination at the hands of his pcll-
,ical party, is to surround himself
With his party organization, after ne
becomes a candidate upon the non,
PARTISAN ballot, and thereby appeal
@ mems prejudices for his election,
.ather than to their wisdom and bet
er Judgment. And who would not
;ay that such an act upon the part
# anv candidate, is to defeat the peo-
lie in bringing about this reform
which they have so long needed and
trived to obtain. The law provides
hat all candidates may go upon the
,fficial ballot by petition of the vot-
RS. if filed sixty days before the cleo
ion. In view of the law taking the
judiciary out of politics, is 1t not fair
hen to say that it is the duty OF can
lidates for Judicial office to go upon
he official ballot by Independent pc
ition of the voters, and thereby keep
he Judiciary out of politics. For
What fair minded and candid man
would say that any candidate could get
non-partisan nomination at the
lands of political party. Or If elect
d to your bench by such influences,
hat he would be non-partisan
Judge upon your bench.
In becoming a candidate for the Of
ice of Common Pleas Judge for Full
on County at the coming election,
axe this means of announcing to the
,oters that l am a candidate for tins
,ffice. and will go upon the official
,allot by the independent petition OF
he voters of Fulton County.
| am not the candidate of any poll
ical party, or of any politicians or
lass of individuals, but | am seeking
md receiving the support of our peo,-
lie of all classes, and of all political
parties. My petitions are now in cir,
ulation throughout the county, and
ire being subscribed to by hundreds
# voters without regard to their poll
ical affiliations. l invite every hon
est and well meaning voter and citi-
zen in our county to join with and as
list me in this campaign for my cleo
ion to this office, regardless of what
lis politics may be upon political is
sues. This is as much the fight OF
he citizens of Fulton County, as it is
nine. or that of any other candidate
And every honest and candid voter
yves the duty to himself, and to his
leighbors, to lay politics aside and
lid in electing a Judge upon your
Common Pleas bench who will place
md keep the office above and beyond
public criticism. AS your candidate