The national Republican., 1868-11-26
Elective Judislary a. Illustrated by
that OF New York>C(ty.

IA
that of New York>C(ty.
NovRNsNR 2j, 1893.
To rnE REPuBLtcAs: The recent charge Of
Judge Barnard, Of Now York, 10 tho grand
jury Of his court, . telesrsphis synopsis Of
which you publishsd yesterday, is extremely
Suggestive For years past-isdsed, almost
ever since the election Of the New York State
judioisry was Ito use = popular tsrm) "rs.
mitted to the people"-justice 10 New York
city, at law, has been becoming more and
more . marketable commodity, until, at this
time, before individual justices Of the city and
State courts, II Is now held 10 be as much an
article for sale 10 the market to him who will
pay highest for It, n beef on the eity's
butcher stalls. One high New York judge, the
ELECT Of 'the dear psopis, 4" Is notoriou,ly the
owner Of multitude Of the eity's houses Of
iii-fame, deriving. Of course, three times the
income from their rent that he could acquire
from any other New York real estate Of equal
value. The finger Of the community points at
him ss judge Who sells his decisions; and hs
nsesssariiy decides cases involving the title to
millions worth Of property annually. The
case Of the judge who feels called on BY the
groans Of the public, through the press, to at
tempt the feeble vindieation Of himself en-.
bracsd In the charge to the grand jury, re-
fsrred to above, 10, II possible, more gisripg
and blasting to the community than that Of
the owner Of the numerous houses Of III.
fame.
/ give your readers an instance Of tho ad.
ministration Of Justice" under his auspices,
Is follows In the course Of the Erie rail-
road war; he took occasion to appoint the
noted Peter B. Sweeney receiver or auditor
for the Eric railroad company. The removal
Of the Office Of the company to New Jersey
prevented Sweeney from in any manner acting
under that appointment. A oompromiss was
subsequently, effected between the company
and those at whose instance he appointed
Sweeney receiver. He (the judge) refused to
lsgalire or recognize that compromise until
Sweeney was paid $l5O.ooo in virtue of the
appointment in question, though ho had never
incurred q dollars responsibility or scratched
. pen In execution Of the trusts Of the re.
ceivership.
This hundred and fifty thousand dollars
was simply wruug from the company to pay
swssneSsbr the judges denomination, swss-
ney being the man who carried in his breechss
pocket the control Of the judicial convention
making the nomination.
New York stinks with stories Of the venality
Of the court in question. All the lawyers Of
the city know that justioe-or rather LAWS
Is marketable in It as diseased cattle at the
Bulls Head, yet no New York lawyer dsrss
press q prosecution Of the notoriOusly venal
judge lest he may thus compromiso the inter.
ests of his clients or his own weight with the
corrupt court.
Those interested (the property holders and
services of able lawyers from neighboring
cities who do not practice In New York to
make up and prosecute their proposed i'm.
peachment. Such lawyers, fully competent to
the vindieation of the integrity of tho New
York judiciary, are easily obtainable. There
can be no doubt that q prosecution instituted
BY men Of emphasis, ability, and reputation
will be triumphautly sustained by the New
York State Court before which It would be
triable.
No more venal courts existed in the most
corrupt era of Russia, Italy. Spain. or Con-
stantinople than more than one Of the New
York courts Of to day. The failure Of the
community Of New York to institute proceed.
ings for the vindication Of the integrity Of jus.
tice and law in their midst Is the most lament.
able stain of the timos on the fame Of Ameri.
can Institutions.