The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1915-10-29
LET'S BE CHARITABLE

TUESDAY by Governor ERNEST Llstef.
Mr.. Bausman has been practising
attorney for years and one OF the
leading members of the bar of King
county. He has had no previous ex-
perience in judicial position, but he
has long been an active democratic
worker of the state, and was one of the
most effective supporters of Mr.. Lis
ter in the last campaign. Besides, Mr..
Bausman has been attorney for the
Seattle Times, one of the big daily
papers of the state and factor of no
small Importance in the campaign that
opens next year. These things alone
are weighty considerations in estimat-
ing the qualifications of a candidate
for a place so important as that of
supreme court justice and bear re-
markedly on the fitness of the
proposed appointee in the mind of a
man like Mr.. Lister.
Far be it from one on the eide lines
to suggest that Governor Lister would
|
cal advantage to be gained by himself
in making a selection for a position of
such Importance, particularly in view
of the fact that the law has attempted
to remove the judiciary from the I'M
wholesome atmosphere Of politics, and
more particularly when it is remem-
bered that our governor has repeated
ly denounced the evils of partisanship
and insisted on identifying himself
with the non-partisan propaganda.
The fact that Mr.. Bausman, now
Justice Bausman by the grace of
Ernest of Yorkshire, is a lifelong and
ardent democrat, an influential cit
izen of King county where more votes
are cast in general election than in
a half dozen Eastern Washington
counties, and finally that he happened
to be attorney for the Ceattle Times,
a big factor of Itself in any primary OF
general election; repeat, the fact that
the Honorable Justice Bausman hap
pens to combine these fascinating ell
ements in his one pers onc'ity, is a
mere coincidence. In al probability
Governor Lister was as surprised to
learn these things about his dear per-
soIal friend BausDan az the veriest
political neophite after he had made
his selection for the vacancy on the
lsupreme bench.
Ernest Lister abhors partisanship
He has made it emphatically plain
from the platform and from the pulpit
on many occasions that no one in this
state is more bitterly opposed to par.
tisanship in public officials, especially
in a governor, than ne. With all the
iron tcnacity of his Engl.sh lineage
he has hammered away ON this ex-
allied principal and repeatedly dedi,
Gated himself and his administration
to promoting it in prccept. Il. the
less conspicuous matter Of practice
his record has not squared with his
precepts. 1t would be harsh &: d may.
hap cruelty unjust to charge him with
cunning duplicity in thi: matter, and
besides it would not be wholly charit-
able without some admission Oh his
part of his Inconsistency. But it is
interesting at least to rote that, while
preaching the doctrine of ron-parti-
sanship on every possible occasion
he has filled tie chief positions and
most of the minor ones with practical
democratic workers and strong pers-
onal supporters. Time and again he
has named democratic central COM
mitteemen and his own campaign
managers to places such cs that OF
public service commissioner, tax COM
missioner, fish commissioner, labor
commissioner, industrial insurance
commissioner, clerksaips il these var.
ious departments, janitor3 il the cap
itCl building aid places of evory de-
scription, in fact.
In extenuation O; this apparent n.y.
pocrisy, it is only fair tc suggest that
possibly Governor Lister was unable
to find others in this great state who
were SO em:nently fitted TO-. the par
ticular duties Of the various c;rrl.E-
sionerships and clerksaips and janit-
or jobs as the particular democrats
whom he selected. That IF course is
'Ossiblc and would entirely exonerate
him from the suspicion CT double deal
ng with the public, whose good opin-
ion he seeks and whose votes he must
have next year.
Let us believe that Ernest IS honest
in his advocacy of -partiscnship,
even though his appointments and his
| record do not square with his oft
| plighted Wort. And let us not draw
hasty conclusions that might wrong
him, such as foc instance that he de-
| sired above all else TO win the influ-
entail support of the Seattle Times
first when he pardoned former Chief
of Police Wappcnstien of Seattle, and
| again now that he has appointed Mr..
Bausman, attorney for the Times, to
the most exalted judicial position in
the state.
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