The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-11-30
JUDGES AS CANDIDATES.

Mr.. Hughes was the first Justice
of the United States Supreme Court
to be nominated for president, and
is probably the last.
In view of the republican party's
experience with Mr.. Hughes, no ma
tional convention is likely to go
again to the supreme court for
candidate, and in view OF Mr..
Hughes experience no justice of the
supreme court is likely again to be
receptive candidate.
In opposing Mr.. Hughes nomina-
ton Joseph H. Choate protested that
1t should be regarded as fatal
drawback to Justice Hughes nomi-
nation that he is justice OF the
supreme court court which must
be kept inviolate from without or
from Within
We doubt if this theory influenced
many voters against Mr.. Hughes, for
it did not Influence even Mr.. Choate,
who warmly supported the ticket and
the candidate. The strongest rea-
son against the nomination of judges
for high elective Office is severely
practical one. They are weak candi-
dates. The Hughes campaign is not
unique.
In 1897 Alton B. Parker was elect
ed Chief Judge of the New York
court of appeals on the democratic
ticket by plurality of 60,SS9, al
though the year before Mckinley's
plurality was more than 26S,OO0.
Yet when Judge Parker was the
democratic candidate for president in
1904 he lost New York by 1000
and polled the fewest votes OF any
democratic candidate for president
since 1884.
In 1909 Tammany nominated
Judge Gaynor for mayor and Judge
Gaynor was popularity regarded as an
invincible candidate. Yet he made.
a miserable campaign and was saw
ed from defeat only by divided
opposition. The combined Barnard
Hearst vote exceeded the Gaynor
vote by $4,000.
In 1913 Tammany again went to
the bench for a candidate for mayor
and Judge Mccall was beaten by
1z1,OO0 votes, thousands of whom
he had alienated by his own speech
es
In 1914 Samuel Seabury was
elected associate Judge Of the court
of appeals by a plurality of 56,O54.
He carried New York county by
more than 10000, Kings by $4,000,
the Bronx by $4,000, Queens by 49,
600, and Richmond by $500. AL
though Gov. Whitman, in a republic
can landslide election, carried the
state by 900, he ran only 10000
ahead of Judge Seabury, who actual
ly pciled more votes than Senator
XVadsworth. Yet, as the democratic
candidate for governor this year,
Judge Seabury carried New York
City by paltry $4,000 and was
disastrously beaten in the state.
Mr.. Hughes was a mighty candi-
date before, he became judge.
When he ran for governor in 1906
he had plurality of 57,S97 and was
the only republican on the state
ticket to be eelcted. AS candidate
for president he ran behind his. tick
ct in practically every state in the
union, and as a campaigner he lost
votes by every speech he made. He
was strongest on the day he was
nominated and weakest on election
day.
Why judges should make poor
candidate for executive Offices we do
not pretend to know, but it is never
theless a fact, and it is fact to-
which political parties are bound to
give more consideration in the flu
ture. Thus the fear that the bench
had been dragged into politics
through the presidents set by the
nomination of Justice Hughes for
president and Judge Seabury for
governor is stifled by the election
returns.
On the whole it is perhaps better
for the country that the Judge should
remain Judge, and that the train
ing and experience of the Bench
should unfit him for party leader
ship-New York World.