The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1916-03-16
THE CIRCUIT JUDGESHIP.
To the Editor of the Pilot


The matter of the election of a
Circuit Judge in this judicial circuit
seems to have been lost sight OF by
reason of the importance OF other
great public questions which have
come to the front. Great and impor-
taut state and national matters, among
them the probability of an information
ri war, are forcing themselves upon
public attention to the exclusion, in
some degree, of affairs of a local char-
acter.
Meanwhile the personally nominated
and self-appointed opponent OF Judge
Kirwan is industriously pursuing his
"gumshoe" campaign and suggestions
float in from time to time, which indi-
cate that the representations ito
call them by no harsher name) which
were set ahoat early in the canvass
have by no means ceased.
The fake story about Judge kirwau S
age circulated in Sheboygan County,
which Sheboygan newspaper declared
called for retraction from his oppcner
in all "fairness and decency", has not
been dropped, in spite of the fact that
its rank falsebood has been exposed.
Instead, there has been added to il
another suggestion equally false, name
ly, that the Judge sis in feeble health" "
A man eighty years old and in feeble
health would scarcely be promising
subject on the bench. Judge Kirwan
is neither the one nor the other. He
is 6S years of age and does not look 20
There is not trace of physical weak
ness or inval.dism in his make up. His
we'll knit physique and correct habits
of living so far as human foresight
goes, insures him many years of useful
life. intellectually he is in the very
meridian of his powers.
This last fake story appears to be
founded on the fact that the Judge dur
ing the last term of court had an at
tack of GRIPPE, which this winter
has been epidemic throughout the
state. Everybody knows that the
grippe" is no respector OF persons.
With impartial foot it enters alike the
mansion of the rich and the cottage OF
the laborer and makes them both
sneeze and snutflie alike. But nobody
considers an attack of grippe" a sign
of chronic invalidsm. Nobody, that
is nvc.nt. % ..,pn~. ~, 'vrN+s 20 aus.
another from Office for his personal
profit and bases an insinuation of
chronic i'll health on a temporary indis
position. In feeble health? Why: for
at least twelve consecutive years Judge
Kirwan has never failed to clear his
calendar of all the cases upon it before
the end Of the term. No Judge in the
state has better record.
No one who knows Judge Kirwan
well and is familiar with his capacity
for work and habits of untiring indus
Try, will he fooled for an instant by
these false stories which are being cir
culated for purpose. But there may
be and doubtless are, those who can he
influenced by these untruths If uncon
tradicted and the friends of Judge
Krwan should be on the alert 10 con
tradict and refute them, and expose
the unscrupulous animus which prompts
them.
But what must be thought of those
who resort to that kind Of political
work in connection with the judicial
office? 1t has been the object of the
best minds in the United States to keeE
the judiciary SO far as possible free
from political bias and prejudice. Sc
far as partisan politics are concerned
they have been measurably successful.
1t seems, however that personal poll
tics are likely to lead to still greater
evil, and the personal politician who
spends 365 days in the year blowing his
own horn may be greater menace
than the party hack who demands a
iudgeship as reward for his political
activity.
The circuit court is peculiarly the
court of the people. Its judges ought tc
be men who are above suspicion of poll
tical trickery; men OF integrity, ability
and high moral character. They
should be men OF mature age, with
4 a IL
ties. Are such judges likely to be OBJ
tained as a result of fa,se representa-
tions, political wire-rllling or gum
shoe" methods Of insinuating detrac
tion.
Let the people wake up to this evi
and voice their disapproval by return
ing Judge Kirwan by an overwhelming
vote. A VOTER.