The Brutal Politics of the Benton County Bench
An editorial endorsement attacks a rival candidate, arguing that splitting the vote would hand the superior court seat to an outsider.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
There should be no hesitancy on the part of any Benton County voter as to how to mark his or her ballot for judge of the superior court. M. M. Moulton is in every respect eminently qualified for the office. He has made his campaign squarely upon his record as a man and as an attorney. The other Benton County candidate, G. W. Hamilton, of Prosser, is a fine old gentleman who enjoys the respect and holds the esteem of all who know him. Since coming to Benton County he has not been actively engaged in the practice of law. According to his own statement he has divided his time between his farm and his profession for the reason that there has not been sufficient legal business in Benton County to justify a continuous practice of his profession. In other words, as a lawyer he has been eliminated in the contest for the survival of the fittest. It is a foregone conclusion that Mr. Hamilton will be fourth in the race. Even his personal friends admit that he stands no chance for the nomination and the only material effect his candidacy can have will be to detract from the candidacy of Mr. Moulton. In the last analysis a vote for Mr. Hamilton can but figure as a vote against Benton County. For this reason a complimentary vote for Mr. Hamilton may result in putting a Franklin or an Adams County man on the superior bench and the defeat of the best qualified man in the race.
“In other words, as a lawyer he has been eliminated in the contest for the survival of the fittest.”
Local political editorials in 1916 used a surprisingly sharp, zero-sum rhetoric to frame local judicial races. Even today, the fear of 'splitting the vote' remains a common refrain in regional politics, reflecting the high stakes of maintaining local control over the bench.
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