The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1916-03-02
THE CIRCUIT JUDGESHIP.
Editor of the Pilot

i1Nieoi VI Wiz i'NSt
Albert Schmidt, Judge of the NUM-
cipal Court for Mantowoc County,
(well characterized by the Pilot as a
County Justices Court is said to be
whining and complaining that he is
being abused. Some OF his friends are
joining in the whine.
AS an alleged lawyer, Albert must
know that the Supreme Court of Wis
consin has decided that any man who
is a candidate for the Office of circuit
judge is open to both public and priv
about? So far as he is concerned, the
criticism made upon his candidacy is
to the effect, that it is selImade and not
the result OF any apparent public de-
mand. That he is inspired in his pres
ent grab for the circuit judgeship by
personal greed as well as am mbition, in
cited thereto to obtain the larger sal
ary pertaining to that office while hold
ing on to his present place in the Nun
icipal Court. Mr.. Schmidt claims that
he has a right to be candidate for any
Office he wishes. Granted. But every
voter thereby obtains a correlatiye
right to examine and critlcise his qual
itications as such candidate: both as TO
his personality and public character,
and make such deductions ther from as
he believes warranted by the fa1ts. Inc
writer believes these facts show in him
grasping and selt-seeking disposition.
The Municipal Court was created IN
1895. The salary was fixed at Sl5OO.0O.
per annum, and was considered ample
for the duties Of the office. The early
incumbents were satisfied 10 serve for
that salary. Mr.. Schmidt however
was not long in Office before he began
to hound the County Board TO raise his
salary. 1t was raised five hun
dred dollars Some time Afterwards, a
movement was started in the County
Board to abolish the fee system then
existing in the County Court and put
the Judge on salary basis. The sal.
ary proposed for the County Judge was
$500 90. per annum. Mr.. Schmidt
thought he saw chance for demand
ing a raise in his salary 10 the same
figure. He beseeched the members OF
the County Board 10 again raise his
salary on the specious plea that the
courts were equal in rank and ought
to be equal in salary. The resolution
failed 20 pass, though. Prt the insat.'
able appetite of Schmidt was not yet
satisfied. He knew he had worked the
County Board to the limit, SO his next
move was in wider teld.
When the last session of the legisla-
ture met, he prepared bill increasing
to some extent the jurisdiction of the
Municipal Court and in 50 far cutting
out the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court
He took none Of the different bodies OF
the people interested into his conf
dence. The County Board, although
in session but few weeks before the
legislature met was not advised Of it,
though if it became a law it would have
added some thousands of collars TO the
county expenditures. The Manitowoc
County bar was not consulted. Neither
of the two county Members of Assem-
bly, introduced the bill, but it was sent
to the Senator from Calumet County
and by him introduced.
The bill as originally prepared by
Mr.. Schmidt almost leglslated the Cir
cult Court, in which Judge kirwan
presided out of existence and cores
pondily increased the glory of Mr..
Schmldt's justice court. The big thing
however, was a "little joker" clause
near the end of the bill, which provi3-
ed, 'the salary of the judge of said
court shall be 100000. annually, to be
paid by the County of Manitowoc."
The existence and details of the
scheme were kept very quiet and as
time passed on 1t began to look as If the
bill would Slide through from sheer
neglect to oppose it. The County bar
in due time woke up to the situation
and unanimously suuelched the project
and Mr.. Schmidts little scheme to
boost his salary to $1,000 90 went glim-
mering.
The above is an exact statement Of
fact and statement of fact cannot be
called abuse. In view of these facts
land there are others) all provable by
the records; are not the voters Of the
county justified in the deduction that
Mr.. Schmidt's disposition is grasping
and mercenary and that this disposition
furnishes the key to his presen. candi-
dacy.
A VOTER.