Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-03-01
INTERVIEW BY PROXY
WITH THE 1u1,EAcHED JUDGEPaGE
Another Ball by 'tGlobe" Reporter The
Judge Retires and Hands the Reporter
Over to the Tender Iercies of His At
torneys--They Warmly Espouse His Cause
and Say He Courts Investigation--He Will
Defend Himself Vigorously.


porter with Judge Page at o'clock yester-
day morning, being necessarily brief, the
Judge was again waited upon later in the day
at his apartments in the Windsor, where he
was found in the company of w. H. Merrick
and J. A. Lovely, Esqs., of the tenth judicial
circuit The judge received the press repre-
sentative quite cordially, and, introducing
the lawyers to the latter, excused himself for
short time There was nothing in the
manner of Judge Page to indicate any nerv-
GUS excitement or deep mental detection at
the impeachment result in the House the
previous midnight, although he was suffer-
FROM bodily indisposition, as it afterwards
appeared.
Knowing the deep professional interest
taken by Messrs. Lovely and
Merrick in Judge Pages impeachment,
The GLOBE representative at once opened the
ball by stating that the object of his mission
was to get what he could of the .'true in
wardness'' and origin of this, unpleasant bus
mess, and added that his journal did not
seek for any information that might preiu-
dice Judge Pages future desires and inter.
ests.
Rep.-At his election did Judge Page
have to encounter very violent political op-
position?
Mr.. LOVELY am not exactly acquainted
with the facts Of the election, but the Judge
did meet with considerable opposition.
Rep.-Did the opposition at that time have
any eliminating influence on the impeach-
ment matter?
This lnterrogatory was answered by Mr..
Lovely presenting to the reporter lengthy
printed statement, purporting to be a com
plete vinaication of Judge Page by the bal
of his district, which Mr.. Lovely averred
contained fair, succinct history of the origin
of the trouble.
Mr.. Merrick-It must be distinctly borne
in mind that the burden of the charges upon
which Judge Page was impeached in the
House was not that upon which most of the
evidence was given before the secret com
mittee. Of the twenty charges preferred
before the committee, sixteen were thrown
out. The Pioneer Press charged Judge
Page with judicial impropriety in the mat
ter of the disbarring of Lafayette French
because of there being no evidence to sus.
tain it. Thus the Dick Richards matter
and the West matter, both of which had been
charged by the Pioneer Press, had been
thrown out also as unsupported by testi-
mony. In short, the Pioneer Press song
does not figure in the impeachment proper at
all.
| Mr.. Lovely-It should be recollected that
many of the parties who had made com
plants at one time or another against Judge
Page have afforded cheerful evidence of his
| impartially and efficiency.
Mr.. Merrick-Mr. Severance, of Mankato
a staunch Democrat, said to me that, in
1876, Lafayette French had expressed
his surprise to MI. Severance that
Judge Page, after going through
SO heightened period of bitter politica
hostility. yet acted with such uniform fair
ness while on the bench toward all parties.
! Rep.-Was the action of the House in OF.
dering the impeachment ever anticipated By
Judge Page, Or those friendly to his cause
Mr.. Lovely-What question! Of course
some action.
Rep.-But will not the impeachment tria
afford Judge Page an opportunity to .clea1
his skirts?
Mr.. Lovely-Judge Page has always freel,
L
1t is natural, however, that he should feel tn,
imputation which an impeachment necessa
rily implies.
Mr.. Merrick-Co Considering the fact tina
the preparation for an impeachment and it
conducting will occupy about two months o
o mans time, and involves a cost of from
$4,000 to $4,000, it was not matter tina
any man would banker after very strongly.
Mr.. Lovely Judge Page, you may depend
upon it, will defend himself vigorously, and
as believe, will vindicate himself fully an,
successfully when the time comes.
Mr.. Merrick murmured his assent to tina
sentiment, and the reporter, seeing no sig1
of the judges return, rose to depart.
Mr.. Merrick-The Judge is not feeling
very well to-day and will be back in fey
minutes. He has no objection to meetin,
you.
Rep.-I do not wish to trouble him an,
more than necessary under the painful cir
cumstances. -
| Both the attorneys here chorused that th
Judge did not feel at,all detected. He wa
I not that kind Of man.
The reporter here Withdrew, after thank
ing the interviewed for their cordial greeting
and for the information vouchsafed.