Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 56, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 December 1908 — WANTS MORE OFFICES PROVIDED. [ARTICLE]

WANTS MORE OFFICES PROVIDED.

State Senator Halleck Would Have a Judge for Each County. [Under the heading of '“State Politics and Politicians/’ the Indianapolis News of a few days ago had among other items, the following: "Senator ... Abraham Halleck, of Rensselaer, who will represent more square miles of territory than any other member of the next Legislature, will introduce a bill which, if passed will revolutionize the business of the Circuit Courts of Indiana. Mr. Halleck’s bill contemplates a circuit judge for each county in the State, but no judge will be permitted to hear a case in his own county. This, it is pointed out will give the public little reason lor saying that a judge was biased in giving his decision. Under this plan the number of judges in the State would be materially increased. Mr. Halleck says the proposed bill has been indorsed by the State Bar * Association. Mr. Halleck represents Jasper, Newton, Starke and White counties.” Now wouldn’t that be nice? The circuit judges of Indiana at present receive an annual salary of |3,500 and are elected for a term of six years—s2l,ooo for each term! This is, in round numbers, $lO per day for every day in the year, Sundays included. The terms of court occupy about half the time, but there are many terms when the entire business of the term can and is done in one of two weeks. Many of the judges now occupying the bench in Indiana and elsewhere and drawing $lO per day or more for every day in the year could not make one half that sum from the regular practice of law, and no disrespect is intended in saying this, either. The profession is so crowded that only a small per cent of lawyers make more than an ordinary living. Of course, if Mr. Halleck’s proposed measure should become a law, it would create soft jobs for a lot more lawyers who are now eking out an existence in the practice of their profession, and the farmer who is taken from his fields at a busy time to go on a jury at $2.00 per day and pays SI.OO of this for his board, would still receive his $2 per, while the fellow sitting in the upholstered chair on the bench would be drawing $lO per—not only while court was in session, but while he was away fishing or on a vacation trip, and on Sunday, also. Another beautiful feature of this proposed law is that a judge should not preside in his own county. That is, the people will not be allowed to select their own judge. The voters of some other county would nominate and elect a judge for them, sending them any old thing they chose because they would have no interest in his ability or integrity, for he would not sit in their county. This would be a good thing if ohe county had a grudge against another, and would probably be the only way some would-be judges could ever hope tt> don /the ermine. We do not think the democrats in the legislature will allow any such

proposition as this to become a law, at least it is hoped that they have too much good sense to do so. But one thing that is very apparent in this proposition, and which The Democrat has heretofore called attention to frequently—and it is hoped that some time the farmers will get it beat into their heads—is that too many lawyers and not enough farmers, business men and others not engaged in the overcrowded professions, are sent to the legislature, to make laws for the people.