Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-11-01
SUPREME u JUDGES

Among the officers to BE elected at the approach
ing state election in North Dakota are three su-
preme court justices. As the supreme court is made
up Of five judges, any three will constitute a ma
jority Of that body, hence the Importance Of max
ing wise selections at this time. .
The state supreme court is the court of last re
sort in the determination of all questions except
those which involve the application Of the federal
constitution. Outside of the federal field. which is
strictly limited, the decisions 81 our court are not
subject to challenge anywhere on earth. The Sc
|curity Of the citizen in his person and his PROPERTY,
in the government of his home and in practically ali
the activities Of life, is directly within the jurisdie-
ton OF 'this state body, and there is no citizen, how
ever humble or obscure, whose status in society is
not directly affected by decisions of our state court
from which there is no effective appeal.
It is obvious that under these conditions the
selection of the men who are to be charged with
tho weighty responsibility Of making decisions Of
such tremendous importance is something to which
the e|t'zen should give careful consideration. There
should be chosen for this work only men who are
known to be men of probity OF training and expert
ence such as will fit them for the rendering of decis-
ions free from personal prejudice or partisan bias,
and who have the courage to render Just and law
full decisions regardless of their popularity or UNI
popularity.
During the past few years a strenuous effort has
been made by radical leaders within and without the
state to pack the supreme court with men committed
in advance to the judicial support Of radical doc
|trines or ternpyanentally so constituted that they
could safely be relied on for such decisions when
ever the occasion for them arose. There is all the
more reason, therefore, that at this %juncture in the
states affairs especial care should be made in the
selection of members Of the court. Elected in ac-
I%cordance with law on a non-partisan basis, through
the operation of the primary and the activity of &C
tive workers, candidates have come Of late to be
lgrouped into classifcations in accordance with their
supposed attitude toward the maintenance of the
principles of sound constitutional government. The
Nonpartisan league has endorsed certain candidates,
and the organizations grouped together under the
general title of independents have endorsed others.
The supreme, court candidates endorsed by the
Independents are L. E. Birdzell, now chief Justice
of the court Sveinbjorn Johnson, now attorney gem
eral of the state, and w, E. Nuessle, for several years
"a district court judge. These men have the en-
dorsement of leading members of the bar Of the
state, who are thoroughly familiar with the char
acter and record of each individual, and because
of the confidence expressed in them by their legal
associates, and the high estimate. placed, upot,
them by citizens generally who know them. and
are familiar with their work., the Independent Or
ganization has added it's own endorsement, and
now urges that these three candidates be elected.
1t is important that in voting on this question
the voter keep in mind the highest. interest pf the
state, the orderly procedure which is necessary for
1.-THE transaction Of it's affairs, and the possible con
sequences of a mistake. 1t is urged, therefore,
thaf the voter examine his ballot carefully and
make certain that his vote is cast, not for one or
two of these men only, but for all three, so that
there may be no possibility of a slip through neg
|ligence or inadvertence. =