Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1871-03-15
Hon. b. B. SWoope.

The following article from the Altoona
Democratic Sun, relating to the efficiency
of the present u S. District Attorney IN
prosecuting offenders against the laws, ex-
presses our views SO fully, that we transfer
1t entire to our columns:
" hen the appoin ment of this gentleman
as L. s. Attorney for the Western District
was first announced we took occasion TO com
mend the selection, and among other things
remarked that in the discharge OF his Off
cial duties 1t would be found that he was no
respector of persons when it came to dealing
with law breakers; that rich and poor would
fare alike with him and that, active partl'
san as he Is, any attempt Of a criminal to
shield himself from punishment by pleading
services rendered to his party, would be fu
tile. Mr.. SwOope has now held his office
Tor more than year, sending up more IN
dIctment, trying more cases convlcting more
criminals, and transactlng more business IN
that Court than all his predecessors for the
last twenty years combined. And we are
glad IL announce that an examination OF the
records show that our predictions have 1een
verified In every particular Much OF the
time of this Court has been taken up with
prosecutions of aTf apparently trltilng char
acter, such as that of diStIliers, brewers,
lager beer cigar and tobacco venders, for
failure to comply with the internal revenue
laws, In Omitting proper stamps, or to pay
special tax, or something OF that sort
which were all violations of law, and as the
law officer OF the Government Mr.. Swoope
but discharged his duty III prosecuting them
as fast as they were brought before him ln
official form Naturally enough this has
made him the victim of censure in certain
quarters bat with how much justice good
citizens of common sense .YIll have no trru
Die TO decide. And just now quite an effort
is being made to get up Il feeling against
him III the western part If the State. At
the recent term Of this Court at Pittsburgh,
several lawyers, having been returned TO the
District Attorney, indictments against them
Tor failure to pay the special tax as provided
by law, We're laid before the grand jury and
true bills found IN each case. On trial most
| of them plead guilty, and the others tried
and convicted and all, except one, discharg-
ed on the payment Of a slight fine, costs,
&c. The exception was that of ). ID. Roth
ermal, a member of the bar of Pittsburgh,
who upon being brought before the Court
on Friday last, March 3D., was sentenced
to pay the usual penalty, costs, &c, amount
! ing in all to forty ythree dollars, and failing
| to comply with the sentence was sent to jail.
| And this is the foundation OF the attempted
raid upon Mr. Swoope. That It will find
! nosympathzers among sensible people there
/ can be no doubt. On the contrary. ali sen
sIbie people must commend him Tor 1t. y
/ poor ignorant creature Is brought up before
! the Court and fined fifty or u hundred, oil
! perhaps thousand dollars for failure to
comply with some particular provision oil
! the stamp law, and no person beyond the
/ victim and his family is disturbed in the
/ least. Lawyers, however, cannot plead iG'
norance, and when convicted of violating
the law they, above all other men, are the
! least entitled to sympathy. If the friends
! of the lawyers have complaints to make
| they should complain Of the law, not ol
those whose sworn duty it is to execute the
law.
If Mr. Swoope's example was more gen
orally followed it would be much to the ben
eft of the public Nothing is more com
mon than the belief that the man with plen.
ty of money, or surrounded with influentla
| friends. eau escape the penalties of violated
| law with impunity. That there is abundant
reason for such wide spread belief is but too
/ apparent There are but few Courts in thC
! Commonwealth whose proceedings do moi
bear the clearest evidence of this fact, la
mentable Is 1t Is and if new start shal
| be made, after the manner inauguTated by
the Attorney for the Western District, and
! all violatorS of the law equally and certainly
punished when legally convicted, without
regard to their social standing, good citizens
! viii not fail to rejoice and render full credit
/ to the officer to whom II Is due.