The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-02-14
) MEMBERS OF
HIGH TRIBUNAL
TO Be NAMED
Chief Justice of North Car.
DINA Will Stand for
Election I'M Fall
The Tim es-News Bureau
Sir Walter Hotel


RALEIGH, Feb. 14.-Three su-
preme court justices, a chief and
two associates, stand for renomi-
nation this year and there is now
less than no likelihood that they
will have opposition.
! 1t was different a year ago.
The legislature was in session and
modification of all liquor laws
was on the program. The beer
and light wines bill passed. The
lcall for a convention to repeal
(the 18th amendment was passed
easily. 1t looked great for the
anti-prohibitionists. The supreme
court by a four to one vote de-
Icided that the election to call a
convention might be made "gen-
eral" by statue and by the max
ing get by the constitutional bar
Irier which stood in the way Of
constitutional change except at
regular or general election inter-
walls.
Chief Justice w. P. Stacy and
Associate Justice w. j. Adams
voted to make November 7 a
general election. Associate
Justice Heriot Clarkson opposed
the proposition. The wet sympa-
] thizers were anxious to have a
poll without any other issue than
repeal or retention. The drys
fought violently this position.
The vets retorted that the state
went dry in 1908 on wet and
dry issue alone and that spe-
cial election was called. The vets
in the assembly had their way.
Judge Clarkson's lone stand
marked him. Several names were
called as possible candidates who
would beat him on the prohibit
ton issue. The Judge isn't cas-
lily beaten. He was known to
have great interest in the out
come and the dry forces con-
suited him much. Two hours aft
er sunset November 7 it was APP
parent that the state had gone
dry by a two to one majority.
The vets were astounded at their
own feebleness. They carried
barely more than a dozen coun-
! ties and lost 10 of the II con-
gressional districts. They were
beaten $4,000 votes, four times
as many rolled up against them
as a majority in 1908. There was
no more talk of opposition to
Justice Clarkson. There had been
none against Judge Stacy and
Judge Adams. There is none to-
day. All three men are appar-
emily safe from any opposition:
There has been no contest IN
the supreme court between an in
cumbent and an aspirant since
1910 when Justice James S. Man
ming was dislodged by Justice
William r. Allen. There was
big contest in 1920, but the fight
was for the successor to Justice
Gorge R. Brown who had an
nounced that he would not again
/ run.
Judge Allen and Judge Man.
ming settled their fight which
! was a mixed battle of county prl-
marics and county conventions.
! 1t was close with Governor Viii
liam w. Kitchin, appointer of
Judge Manning, fighting hard for
ratification at the polls, and
Judge Allen, whom Governor
Kitchin had refused to appoint,
getting the full strength of SEN
ator Simmons, Senator j. w.
Bailey and Colonel A. D. Watts.
Governor Morrison supported
Judge Manning.
That ended the party fights for
iusticeship until 1920 and there
would probably have been no
contest with Judge Brown, al
belt DR.. N. Y. Guley of the Wake
Forest Law school, had announc-
ed himself. There is something
fabout the supreme court which
makes a partisan or fractional
fight unwelcome. The average
practitioner or Judge will not join
issues often with a member OF
the bench.
This bench would have furnish
ed the only state contest of IN
terest3 had the opposition that
formed in 1888 been willing o
show it's hand in 1884. There has
heen no fight on a judge on that
bench since 1910, which Is "a
years ago. The judges hold these
terms for 10 years. And they
are very desirable in these lean
years of private practice.