Orangeburg news and times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1875-1877, 1875-05-08
Our Judges and tho Bar.

at is a custom more honored in the breach
than the observance"
It is an ungracious task to question
the propricty Of q custom which, in
this state, seems to have the sanction
Of time, and the practical approval Of
the courts and the bar. But the Gus
tom VIC have in mind needs, VIC think,
unfavorablc criticism, and we knew Of
none who may more properly make
this criticism than ourselves, MS we are
in political ard, TO some extent, per
s'nal sympathy with the judges Of the
state.
We refer to tie custom ofrcturning
thanks to thcjudgcs for the simple
performance Of the duties Of their pc.
sition. We cannot conceive anything
more undignificd, and which to judges
and lawyers, in their right minds,
ought to seem more offensive.
Both in the theory and the prac-
tice Of law, as VIC understand it, the
bar constitutes n portion of. the court
of justice. The lawyer is subject at
any time to the animadversion of the
court for failure in the performance Of
his duty, and, therefore, the very ap-
pcarance Of that which may bcundcr-
stood as an attempt to fattcr or undu-
ly influence the mind of the court
should be cscrupulously avoided. Again
it may happen that at the close of
term, when resolution or address Of
thanks is proposed, some members Of
the bar will think that, leaving the
propricty of the thing out ufqucstion,
the thanks are not deserved. Now,
see the position in which these dissent
lent lawyers are placed; they must
either sacrifice their convictions and
acquicscc in the entire offering, or
take the chances o! being snuhlc,l
III the pursuit Of their prntcs::..,:ls hy
weak minded and malicious Judges
tor such men do sometimes get on lhc
bench. ,zsr5z,
We say that none but w Z s1lin.
dcd judge can be really rlc,r:eu by
such personal conventional express
sons otappro, val, and We say, further
that Ii, is The very Judge VIII, should
not receive them. In one Of the M.
per circuits quite recently Il vote of
thanks of Tins kind led to Il most un-
pleasant discussion nmon9 The NOM
bers ofthc bar.
We know nothing Of The inside his
tory OF these matters, and suppose
that where a vote Of thanks is given
to judge it is because tile members
otthc bar so voting cannot rcprcss
their surprised gratitude at finding
that the judge, in his intercourse with
them has been neither knave abso.
Lutte fool or tyrant. We have been
told by lawyers, when discussing this
subject with them, that the Judges fish
for these compliments.
If this is SO. then the action Of the
bar in responding to such intimations
is only les unworthy than that of the
judge who makes them.
We wish it understood that We have
no doubt that there are many judges
to whom such formal thanks are but
rs the idle wind, leaving no impres.
sion whatever, except, probably feel
ing Of disgust. There are Others, how
ever, rho prize these things highly
(becansc judges are human, and for
ti'at they prize them highly cannot
suppress n feeling of dissatisfaction
with those who fail to unite with
them.
The fact is. disguise it as we may,
these resolutions Of thanks to the iud-
gcs by the bar are nothing but a spc-
cies Of bribery. And We have no hest
tation in saying that it is the judges
duty to stop them. The custom has OBJ
tanned so long that the failure of the
bar to observe it is interpreted by o
sensitive judge MS dislike Of or opposi.
ton to him personally, and so the
empty but pcrnicious sham is pcrpe-
tuntcd.
Who will be the firstjudgc TO put