Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-01-29
JUDGE PATTERSON.
Tho Drift OF Public Opinion-Expre,scd
| by the Press.
The ONCE and its Incumbent.


tlemen, that ''they surely would not want
had no respect.
If Judge Patterson said this. he should
simply be ashamed of himself. Can he
not distinguish between the court and the
person who may happen more or less
worthily to occupy it? Does he not know
that the greatest respect for an office as
an organ of the state, is compatible with
All extreme and most Just contempt for
the man who, for the time being. sits in
it? He should know that the only public
station, in the kingdom whence we have
derived our laws, whose incumbents can
not be formally accused of improper con-
duct, is the august throne. "The king
can do no wrong, but kings justices and
ministers, lords and commons, all can do
wrong, and can be punished for it. Let
Judge Patterson beware Of striving to set
up in this country the doctrine of the
Sanctity of the incumbent of the office of
which lie happens to enjoy the hOnOrs and
the emOluments. If he has been guilty of
malversatiOn, he should not be permit
ted to screen his official sin. under the
palladium of the office which his sin and
not the exposure Of it tends to discredit.
1t is too late in the century to sugges st in
America that any Of the officers of the
commonwealth shall he exempt from criti-
cism. The highest executive officer in the
state or nation is bound to exercise his
judgment in perplexing and delicate situa-
tiOns. Has any American argued that it
should be i penal of1ese to criticise the
mode of his discharge OF duties, lest the Of
flee should be brought into contempt, or
the incumbent should be swerved from the
independent exercise of his discretion
Yet how much vaster are the interests al
fected by his determinations than those
which usually come before a county court
The functions of q legislator desiGcrate the
most nicely poised judgment and the
largest courage. Within the scope of his
duties are brought subjects of almost
measureless moment to the commonwealth
or nation. And who has been bold enough
to suggest penalties for the free expression
of opinion in regard to the manner of his
discharge of them, by those who undertake
the task of instructing and informing the
more arduOus? Is he made of less firm and
honest timber, that his integrity is more
likely to be strained by newspaper criti-
cism? Is the decision of Il private cause,
directly affecting the litigant parties, more
important than the executive and legisl:l-
tive decision of questions which affect
whole populations?
But the aggravatiOn i'll the case of
Messrs. Steinman and IIensel is, that for u
sentiment expressed i'll paper, of which
they are editors, the judge, who believes
himself insulted, undertakes, without u
jury, to punish with a fine, whose nlagni-
tude is in his own discretion, and with -
deprivation of rights to practice their pro-
fession, an O1ense directed against himself.
He will make himself judge in his own
cause! He will visit penalties of immeas-
urable gravity ut the instigatiOn of his own
piqued and ilsulted majesty Such usurp-
ing and tyrannOus effrOntery should be
hissed down by the whole state. Ii we are
to preserve our liberties, there is no room
| for such a judge upon any of the benches
of the commonwealth. He brings with him
the autocratic ideas of a world now two
centuries dead and reprObated.
! If a word, written by an attorney out Of
court, may be pursued with judicial ven-
geance, why may not spoken words also?
What will prevent the institution of a base
system of espionage, by which whispers in
the offices of attorneys may be carried to
the prurient ear of the judge, and then
punished as he may think the enOrmity IF
the disapprObatiOn of his acts, expressed
i'll speech, more or less clear and strong,
may merit? Out upon such an outrageous
doctrine!
Until we devise way of getting judges
who cannot do wrong, who ale above sOr-
did or selfish aims, who do not feel dis
posed to reward friends and punish
enemies, who cannot be swerved from
steady impartiality between FREUD and foe,
between prOmpters and OppOsers of their
nomination or election, it is the right and
the duty of every good citizen to be
ready to criticise them, OH proper OCCASION
and to see to it that the power of Oppres-
sive intimidation shall not be put into their
hands by winking i'll a solitary case ut the
arrogant assumption of a right to punish
| with fine and disbarmcnt an attorney who
| is courageous enough to utter, not only his
own conviction, but the convictions of Il
large portion of the community. The
people are masters. Governors, senators,
judges, are but servants, whose proper dis
| charge of mOmentOus functions can be
guaranteed only by the amplest freedom
of animadversiOn and discussion. We
hope Messrs. Steinman and Hensel will
stand firm against the pitiful and un-
bllshing tyranny Of Judge Patterson.
Queer Judges.
Clearfield Republican.
1t is evident, from what has transpired
at Lancaster during the past week, that
judges are no better than other people.
The editor of the Philadelphia Record, in
alluding to the conduct of Judge Patterson,
gives our views better than we can do it.
Hear him.
He won't Condsne 1t.
Chester County Democrat
Judge Patterson, of the Lancaster
county bench, has committed biunder
that will not soon be cOncOned or forgotten
by sensible people in his district.
The district attorney was accused,
and doubtless properly, Of procur-
ing the discharge of criminal Oh
political grounds, by the Lancaster
INTELLIGENCER. This is very common
thing in the courts controlled by the party
| dominant in the above county, and the
newspapers frequently show the Gro ,ked-
ness to the public but Steinman and
Hensel are both members of the bar
and the judge calls upon them to show
cause why they should not be disbar-
red for contempt Of court. This is
an unprecedented action, to call up
lawyers professionally to account for what
is said editorially and Judge Patterson
has put his foot in it. since the district at
torney and his assistants have acknowl-
edged the truthfulness Of the charge.
Gradually the so-called Republican party
is drifting us into Imperialism and anOthe r
step is toward lettering free press-the
greatest power and friend the people have