The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-02

of Cook county, this morning, Judge vii
liams sentenced Wilbur F. Storey. editor Of
| the Chicago Times, to ten days imprisonment
in the county j Ill for contempt OF court, in
having published articles constructively re-
tiecting on the character Of certain members
Of the Grand Jury.
Mr. Storey ut present occupies Jliler
Doyles private cflice, where he receives
friends and citizens, who call by hundreds,
with as much ease as in his own office. He
expects to be released upon an order of Judge
McAlister, of the Supreme Court, before
whom an application for supersedeas has
been made by Mr.. Gouiy, of his counsel.
There is good deal of excitement in the
city over the action OF Judge Williams, and
the general sentiment condemns it as an ex-
traordinary and higb-handed exercise Of
power. The article referred to by the Court,
in justification OF its order, crlticising the
Grand Jury and States Attorney, was written
after several indictments had been returned
against the Times, and could not, therefore,
be construed as obstruc ing proceedings OF
the court. The averment OF the article that
c rrupt and disreputable men were on the
Grand Jury, it is claimed, can be substan.i-
ated and the criticism is regarded as justi-
fable The feeling in this community is that
the court has exercised dangerous power,
aud has struck blow a. freedom OF speech.
The city dailies, without exception, con-
denim the action of judge Williams. Of the
evening papers the Post and Nail speaks in
terms Of the severe,t censure OF the mater
and manner of the charge, which it says, was
deliveredin most vindictlve STYLE lac
journal says, editorially:
"We unhesit,tingly pronounce this pro-
ceeding judicial outrage OF the most aagrant
character and venture the predic ion that it
will not be long before the Judge will have oc-
casion to repent him of his lashness. We pub
fish in our city columns pretty tull synopsis
of the Judges decision"
The morning papers publish editorials Of a
similar character. The Inter- Ocean says, in
no partisan spirit, and certainly not as sym.
pathizing with the Times:
eve are opposed to the imprisonment OF
any citizen without due process Of l:V, and
the committal to jail for contempt of any in
dividual as a due process OF law, for the
right, if it exists at all, goes to the extert Of
confinement for life Judge Williams, in i'm
prisoning Mr. Sorey for len days, asserted
the right to contine the prisoner during the
remainder OF his life.
1.-The American people will no5 consent to
hold personal liberty at the will OF any judge
ofany court. Judge Williams, in the course of
his opinion. admits that he read offensive
articles in the Times, with a feeling of intense
but says that the feeling has en-
TREY passed away. He then defends and
eulogizes the States Attorney, end proceeds
to declare that no city in the United States
has been the scene of such events as have
been transporting in Chicago for the past few
weeks. Judge Williams forgets that recently,
in New York, the judges sere perslstently at
tackled and pursued to Impeachment by the
journals Of that city, ana t4at one Of them
de | of shame and remorse.
..Iu the Gaze of Mr.. Storey, however, it
does no. appear tina. the administration OF
justice has been impeded one iota.
Bat the people will not allow judges to az
sumo the exercise of prs roga ives dangerous
to the freedom of speech and the liberty OF
the citizen. They will not permit the doe
trine of constructive contemps, as ILLUSTRATED
land. The impriso. ment OF the editor Of the
Times, without. any due process of law, upon
the employment Of an unknown power by the |
Judges OF the Criminal Court, is III after
whose interest reaches far beyond the indivil-
uals who enact The chief parts in this per-
formance."
The Times does not chooseto regard it from
the standpoint of involved personality of its
editor:
"His Imprisonment is no more nor less
than that OF any other man. His position,
his influence, his surroundings, neither add
to nor detract from the r-al fact involved in
this transaction. This fact is & us1rpation OF
power by an official, and its use to deal a
blow, not at Mr.. Storey, but at a citizen; not
It the Chicago Tines, bu. at the freedom Of
The press, and the Existence OF vital cOnsti- !
tutonal rights. TIE action OF the Jeffreys |
Who on yesterday, sat on the criminal b =nch, |
is hot limited TO the narrow judicial domain
which he occupies, or to that filled y this |
newspaper; it widens and broadens until it |
reat hes AMI affects the action of every ur- |
nal aud of every citizen in the vast Republic.
This action would" the Times asserts, !,
SO be unanimously damned, evan If there was |
particle Of justice in 1t"
1t then expresses a hope tina. tn, influence |
IT this decision will not extend and perpetu- |
ste itself. and continues:
eff it can be shown that man who pre-
suned to exercise the power of impr;s onipg a
;liiZ is himself entitled to respect for |
probiy, for Judicial wisdom, and that his
motives were improper, then the decision |
which he made VIII become iso.a, ed and will |
carry disaster; in no other direction will it |
avo!ve the rights Of other citizens"
II then proceeds to show tina. such is the |
case. since the legal authorities cited by Judge
NullEnS were One-sldei, and III Soma cases |
here Was deli oerate justification. 1t con- |
iuueS:
There was not An element Of judicial fair
ness Or candor il the paper |; WIS heated |
md vindctive argument Of a partisan. WNhin !
his document he led repeatedly, openly, |
md MonstIously. He perverted f.cts. He
omitted essential elements. He was public |
prosecutor laboring with frrious zeal 10 con-
vet att alleged offender. HIS ut erances were |
odious with malice and outraged vanity. He |
travelled within tue record where it wou'd aid |
him, and out of it with equal facility and |
rapidity when Lis purpose required it. H
.laborately defended himself and the States |
attorney as if their grievances hai aught to
TO with the issues involved in the case before !
him. He cited tim self 10 prove himself inn
u .culate, and vent on the stand 10 testify in
he interest of the public prosecutor. 1t
shows that he refused p sitively to Ell 'er;ain
my motions having tendency to mitigate
nls sentence
It concludes by referring that the action
If such a man should MT be permitted to
carry lis weight.