Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 October 1914 — Judge Darroch Objects to Being Oslerized. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Judge Darroch Objects to Being Oslerized.

My Dear Mr. Editor: Some one was kind enough to hand me a card w-ith a picture on one side. On the reverse side and over tlie printed signature of my friend Rogers, who is the progressive candidate for the office of judge, is some printing, one paragraph of which reads like this: “The candidate for judge on the democratic ticket is nearly seventy years of age, too advanced in. years to enter upon the arduous duties of a six-year term.” Now what do you think of that? It is quite true that I am sixty-five years old and do feel some impairment in physical ability, that is, T can’t run as fast or jump as high as in earlier life. Impressed with this fact, and that my competitors both knew it and believe with me in the wisdom of the adage, “Old men for counsel and young men for war,” 1 had fully expected in campaign that two big huskies like my young friends, Rogers and Judge Hanley’ would magnanimously join forces and unitedly and quietly and without .apparently offending, elbow me off the firing line of the active practice, where all 1 the arduous work in the law is. or should be, to that more quiet, peaceful and retired position of a seat on the Wool Sack. Having this in mind, it is indeed disappointing that Brother Rogers should entertain the thought, much less express it so very modestly, that because of increase of years, I should not only be elbowed off the firing line but be backed clear off the deck as jettisoned flotsam ruthlessly cast

adrift to protect the ship from any possible distress. Of course, I was not expecting, if elected, that I would be required to administer the office of judge with a water elm stick, or a baseball bat, and up to this time, I am not conscious of any mental impairment, or for that matter any serious physical)

infirmity. It had never occurred to me that any person would have the temerity to even hint that I was unfit, relatively of course, and the suggestion is so unexpected and embarrassing that I scarcely know how to discuss it. I did know, that is,. I bad been variously informed, that Brother Rogers opposed Judge Hanley’s reelection because he was seemingly unfair in deciding cases where Mr. Rogers appeared as an attorney, and particularly where 1 was the opposing counsel. 1 used to get licked myself occasionally when a boy, and

for a time I thought it altogether wrong; but after a while—and that was long before I undertook to practice law, much less to aspire to judicial honors—it occurred to me that maybe I was in the wrong, and after I got that idea into my head, I fared a whole lot better. Now I am in no collusion with Judge Hanley; I am in a combination all by myself against him and against Rogers, too. but I am not go-

| hr; to question the senst. er lair:.css or integrity of either of them I would rather lose the election than do that. A proper test ;of the unfairness of a circuit judge is by an appeal to the higher court: in fact, that is perhaps the only conclusive test. I Judged by this rule the record of the only two cases coming under it would show, as between Mr. Rogers, Judge Hanley and myself, that in the first case the Judge decided against j me and with Mr. Rogers, and I appealed the case to the appellate court and the decision was reversed las being wrong. The other ease was

decided by Judge Hanley in my favor and Mr. Rogers appealed to the supreme court and the decision was affirmed as being rigiht. So that it would appear from this record that when the court followed Mr. Rogers he was wrong and when the court decided against him he was right. There is yet another lesson suggested by the consideration of these two cases which that exalted standard of extreme modesty set by my friend Rogers compels me to mention and that is, that Mr. Roger* was wrong all the time, Judge Hanley was wrong half the time and I was right all the time; which perhaps fairly reflects the respective legal efficiency of the three candidates for judge. In saying this, however, I am trying to be as modest as I can, consistent with any pattern for modesty that has been furnished me in this contest up to this time, and I am free to admit that if left wholly to my own resources, on such a question of politeness, I might have improved on it.

Now I had tnought out the proposition involved entirely different from the conclusion reached by Mr. Rogers, and, candidly, it would be worth while for the voters to consider the results reached, and, if consistent, adopt niy view of it, because it is a question for the voter to determine and he should be fully persuaded in his own mind, and he will reach a better result i’s he will do most of the persuading himself. First. About the worst thing that can happen to a young man is to be elected to a public office. It makes him, or in some cases, keeps him, callow and conceited, and usually tends to render him mentally unfit for anything else except a manifest and unweaning desire for more office. You should, therefore, determine for yourself whether there exists now any such public necessity as requires you to sacrifice Mr. Rogers to such an untimely fate. Second. Judge Hanley is already infected somewhat with that same desire that feeds on itself; but unfortunately not like the '‘Squid-cuni-squees” that “swollers therselves.” But he is young yet and if turned out ami thrown on his own resources would do better for himself and by his iamlly. and would soon wonder wb> he was not in the game before. Besides the Judge is a relic of a. passing age of political thought that found the acme of all political wisdom and perfection in that snapdragon expression, ‘stand pat,” and in his interest, theTefore, he ought to be given an opportunity before too late in life to rustle and reflect. Third. As for the writer, his habits of thought ami business are fixed, and no doubt after serving out on# judicial term, would be like the others, even to Joe Cannon, passing up his plate for more In any event, he will care as little then as he does now to have some young buck talking of him or writing' of him in a way that would suggest that he was anticipating an early funeral. WILLIAM DARROCH.

WILLIAM DARROCH Democratic Candidate for Judge 30th Judicial Circuit.