, 1873-04-30
JUDGE LAWRENCE AND THE CHICAGO JOUR.
NAL.

Ro0KFonp, H., April 25, 1873
10 ths Editor ef The Chicago Tribune:
SIN: lam QUO OF those who believe in tho
propriety Of full and just examination ns to
tho qualifications Of all candidates for public
poBition; but, ~ d citizon OF this Btate, and m
impartial observer Of public affairs, doslro,
through your columns, to enter solemn protest
Against tho unsupported and libo1ous aspersions
which arc being made by tho Chicago journal
upon Chief Justice Lawrence, his assoolhtoB on
tho gnpremo Bench, and tho entiro bar, not only
Of tho Fifth Judich District, but Of the state at
large.
It iB unquestionaby trl,o that tho net IN Of tho
Supreme Court in tho somcwlat notorious con-
tempt case, in which tho Journal was the do
fondant, WAS unwiae and impolitic; that tho
Court could we'll have afforded to hayo passed
by tho idle and elandorous assertions Of TINT
paper in digniAed sileneo; but tho more fnct
that 1t did not choose go to do, but did, un-
fortunately, eloct to give undue Importance to
30 trivial mattor, is no justification, in tho
minds Of the people, for n newspaper who
is known to DO Hmarting under tho Btings Of d
fancied personal grievance, to clotho Ills por-
sonal venom in tho guise Of public virtue, and
then proceed to flood the community with the
ealuminons and unsupported charges Of s'por-
Si iaoompetouoy" Is against the sapremo aue
State Of Illinois. That Tie olicago
Journal has boon guilty Of this grave ofYonso
es ssser PuRS 3 aaes Hs snd fna ana syos
knows tho faot battor than the oditor himself.
The pretonso that tho Supreme Court has laid
itself liable to these foul charges by it's recent
decision in the Alton Railroad caaos is too
Hhallow to stand tho test Of investigation, oven
for single moment, and ii the oditor OF the
Journal is not by this time convinced of this
fact, It ID only because his ignorance Of legal
principles ~ equal to ths 1 blindness Of Ills Per
law Of the State under which these casos aroso
was clearly dofootiyo In its details, aud the
Court re, vas obliged, as niattor ~, of
Sga1 sn ay to 80 70 pr sts init. It, 7 This
tho fact; AID, in addition to this, 1t is equally
we'll knonn Tint tho only principle involved IN
the delivered opinion Of the Court about which
tho people were thon and aro now at all inter-
charges for transportation under tho provisions
Of existing franchises, was most clearly and
manfully 1naintalned. Indeed, tho Court, In it's
9pnon so far from turning IT, bao The
went out Of its way, in ita dictum, to auggost to
| them tho appropriate romedy for their Wrongs
and the wisdom and honesty Of itB action, as
vel Toll - tue aoundne9s Of the 1egsl conclusions OF
tho aotion OF the popular gra aoh Of tho LogiHla-
| ture, in tho pasaago Of hill by m oyorwIoln-
ing majority, embodying tho very identical sug-
| gestionB contained in tho opinion Of Chiof-Jus-
ttce Lawrence. SO that, IT. the Supreme Court
WAS corrupt In this mattor, according to tho logic
.. tho Jo1''.al, the guilt Of tho popular braucli
! OF tho General Assembly ia ten-{old greator---
Tor this last notion has been taken after long do
liberation, and In tho very face Of a most earnest
and far-reaehiug discussion OF the subject by all
the ls neeaRlo a throughout tue length and breadth
| I hayo no dosiro, Nr Editor, to trespaus to
any great extent on your timo or spaco; but + do
| hay (and In tlia opinion an not aouo) that the
public journal which, in yiew Of the above facts
| can havo the harlihood to tako counsel Of ite
passions only, and thuo wilfully tramp1oH on tho
State prido Of every good citizon Of illinois, by
| cial tribunal within tho limita Of tho Common
| woalth the foul charges Of Official perjury aud
| corruption, without being ablo 10 produce the
first sointi1la of proof to sustain them iH tsolf
dangerous institution n,-daugerons to the rjghts
and liberties OF the peopla, a,-aud daservea to bo
diHcountonanccd by . dlucerniug public, mud
thus Gually abated.
Tho testimony Of witnoas who ia known to
be amarting under recent personal quarrel With
tho partIos to suit, Is a kind Of evidence that
no good lawyer would eyor Introduce to q jury,
aud yat tho position OF such q Witness Ia tho ex.
act relation which the Journal holds towards tho
| Chief JuBtico aud tho people OF this 6tAt0 aud,
as il obtusoness aud atodty wore the fit COM
| panionH for blind and unreasoutnB vindlctfye-
| ncsa, itH editor hns not tho good scnse to dis
! covor the uttor ahamloHsnesB OF AlH nblect posi-
JoMrnatto to doscant less gu tho corruption Of tho
Judiciary, and tell US moro about Tho dangers
which are liko!y to result to tho peoples inter-
terests from the venality alll blind mhlico Of IN
onYenomol and unscrupulouB press!
JUSTICE.