Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-11-08
COOKE RAps CIVIC
SHIRk At SPREAD
Member Of Illinois Supreme fuBrt
Speaks ou Citizenship Before
nar Association.
NEW CONSTITUTION
Declares In Address in Chicago Serious
Thought Should BE- Given Be-
fore Making Change.


Justice George A. Cooke. Aled0,
member of the state supreme court,
in an address On Citizenship" before
the members Of the Illinois State Bar
association al the Hotel La Sale. Chi
cage. Saturday evening. declared that
the first duty of voters looking toward
Improvement in governmental affairs
is to take an honest interest in state
and local affairs, Justice Cooke was
heard by 300 members of the associa-
ton as we'll az nearly ali Of the federal
and state judges Of Illinois. Justice
Cooke responded fnr the court. in
whose honor the banquet was held,
to the sentiment Of the teastmaster,
Colonel Nathan William MacChesney,
president of the association.
Duty Of Citizens.
In speaking OF the need for a civic
housekeeping Justice Cooke said:
When results are NOT satisfactory
in the administration Of our govern
mental affairs it seems to be most nat
ural, unless We stop to analyze the sit
uation, to charge that there is some
thing wrong with the system, Having
once reached this conclusion, the next
natural step is to demand q change,
IF 4 careful analysis he made In re-
spect to the various particulars where
in il is charged that our system of gov
eminent is defective and has proved
unsatisfactory It will usually be found
that the effects supposed to have been
caused by defect in the system have
been caused. in fact by Sinking on
the part Of the citizen and his failure
to perform those duties which he owes
not only to himself but to his neigh
bors and fellow citizens to perform.
No Interest In judiciary.
I'm our own state and IN each of the
other states of the union the judicial
department is made one Of the distinct
and independent branches Of the gov
eminent, and as lawyers we consider
ii of the highest importance. It has
always been regarded as important and
necessary that the Judiciary should be
separated as much as possible from
politics, and our constitution provides
that our judges shall he elected at
time when no other elections are being
held.
1T seems by this provision that the
judiciary instead of being separated
from politics. has largely been sepa-
rated from consideration on the part
Of the people 1t is regarded as extra
ordinary when so per cent Of the quail
! flied voters of any district attend upon
judicial election
Easy t8 Find Fault.
1T is more often the case that the
members Of the bench are selected at
an election where much less than a
majority Of the voters attend than 9th
crwise Yet the member Of the ma
jority who absents himself from the
polls at a judicial election and thus de-
clines to assume this burden which II
is necessary for every citizen in
democratic form Of government to
bear claims the right without stop
ping to consider whether he is in any
way individually responsible, to eriti-
else the judiciary, to brand as unfit its
members, and to condemn the system
which permits a condition he dislikes
to exist
Usually the remedy suggested when
results are not 10 our liking is to make
some change in the system which will
impose added duties and responsible
ties upon the citizen who is already
Sinking, and the question presents it
self whether that same citizen who al
ready declines to assume his full share
Of the burden will cooperate in help
ing TO bring about the desired change
by assuming additional duties and bur
dens
Need New Constitution.