Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-03-05
a DIssraesd Judge.
trrsn n. Mlrsourl iisyssils.s.l

The snuounccmont that the judi.
ciary committee Of The United States
senate had determined 10 report In
favor Of tho impeachment Of United
States district Judge Mark w,
Delal,ay OF Kansas .wiliawaken some
public curiosity In regard to that in
dividual. The caso. is q what
peculiar ono. Delahay's besettinS
fault is that Of fhabitual drunkenness
and his leading Judicial peculiarity 10
HE contempt Of tho forms Of law. He
belongs essentially to that regime Of
Kansas politicians that has been on
the decline since the days Of Jim Lane,
aud that now promises to become
pretty much extinct. Ho always
shared literally in tho prevailing
theory of that regime, that an ofiice
was a piece Of property to bo used at
the pleasure Of the incumbent for his
own profit and the convenience ofhis
friends. But his. ideas are all Of the
narrow-gauge sort, and while be
might be induced for consideration
to hold session of court by candle
light. for the purpose Of rendering .
decree that might have been impossi-
bic by daylight, still II cannot bs. said
Of him that he was extortionats in
his demands for recompense. A SER
vice of this kind, that other judges
might have demanded 5000 Tor,
Judge Dciahay was reasonable enough
to do at the moderate sum Of $500,
Delahay is not a Durell in any sense
of the word. He Is merely despicable
mot dangerous or revolutionary.
While he might havo rendered de-
cree i'll bankruptcy surreptitiously
and wrongfully, he never could have
been prevailed upon to revolutionize
a state or tyrannizc its people. He
belongs TO that class Of ofiiceholderS
who arc simply nuisances, but not to
that other class the existence of which
is O menace to free institutions. or
course it is q very scandalous thing
for United States judge to bargain
away the powers of his position for
five hundred dollars. And it is q Sc
rious reproach that he should fre-
quently be incapacitated from duty
by drunkenness. And it 10 proper
that impeachment and disgrace should
attend his exposure. Thcre is TIC
call for sympathy in the case except
that which everyone will extend to
his innocent and interesting daugh.
tcrs, upon whom this disgrace must
fall as a cruel blow.
But when we come to compare the
case of Judge Delahay with those Q
numerous other men in position fal
more exalted than his, we cannot
avoid tho conclusion that the Radica
party is trying to temporizs with tn,
most terrible situation 4 party wal
over in, by Furnishing its veRial and
C comparatively trivial offenders ant
e1onerating those in the hishes
places, in sheer defiance Of the mos
patent facts. The question 10 bount
to be asked: What sort of equity o
justice is it that ilnpeaches distric
Judge for drunkenness and bribery
and whitewashes = vice-presiden
who is convicted with equal certaint!
of bribery and perjury? ......-
| These are things that the ruling
party cannot settle by throwing {
; very small tub to very large whale
And the condign punishment of al
+ obscure western judge who has sin
ned and is corrupt, will not be popu
larly accepted as vicarious atone
ment for the wrOng-doing of a hos
of his superiors, from the vice-presi
dent down. Judge Delahay's pun
ishment is good as far as it goes, bu'
it does not go far enough TO meet tn.
demand. And the sooner the Radica
leaders discover this fact, and begir
to make practical application Of theil
discovery; the longer they Will bt
likely to retain power.
|, EafaI Afrrav Rctxreen WoHVan.