Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-01-28
JUDGE PATTERSON.
The Drift 81 Public OpaniSa- Expressed
Within and Without HIS Clain,ssl Jun is-
S1lc9l0n.
GsaMc .ASSraS.

in ruling them to show cause
why their names should not be stricken
rOu, the roll OF prscticin: attorneys for
contempt OF court, rs he did
while member OF the constitutional con-
1ention in opposing the amendment ot
Mr.. Ellis. Of this county, abo.ishing the
criminal court. Whatever the alleged Of
fence OF the Lancaster newspapers, the
Judge had his remedy by action Tor libel.
and it is rs arbitrary for him to assume
power to strike from the list the
names OF attorneys who in their
capacity of editors criticiss his judicial
actions is it was ignorant in him in 1876.
three years before the Mollie murierers
were arrested. to oppose the abolition vt
the criminal court on the ground that
the inStrumentality of that court
murder has been stopped in this county.
We are inclined To- think the judge has
placed himself in the same unenviahlc
light i'll threatening Messrs. Steinman ami
HeuSel rs he did when deba ting the Grim
inal court question. on the eth Of oct"-
Der. 1875. he WAS politely told by delegates
Ellis and the lamented Thomas +. BAN
nan that he did not know what he WAS
talking about.
In Hot Water.
Lebanon ADVERTISER.
Judge Patterson. ot Lancaster. has cc,a-
mitted the folly of allowing his passions to
get the better OF his Judgment. and. cu,,Sc-
Seluently. got himself into hot water.
out of which he will hardly get with
out carrying along some severe burns
to his reputation. For some comments
in the Lancaster lNrELILoENCEH. on the
Judges official conduct. the editors.
NeSSrS. Steinman and lleuSel. were sum
moued before court to show cause why
their names should not be stricken from
the roll OF attorneys. AS editors vi II
paper and practising attorneys are two
distinct professions. it will readily he per-
ccived that. while they might have COM
mitted IN otfensc in the former capacity.
the latter had nothing ut all to do with il.
nor are they answerable rs such. and that
is where Judge Patterson made the blum
der-and. what is worse. sticks to il.
MesSrS. Steinman and HenScl are defend
i'll. themselves couragcouSly rs attorneys.
and striking vigorous blows at the judge
and his political promptc,s through the
columns of their paper. Ii Is not the first
time that irritable judges have placed
themselves in the ridiculous position rt
Judge Patterson. and he will get out vi the
dilemma. as his iguob!e predecessors do
with battered reputation.
TheCOrrect Remedy.
Harrisburg Patriot.
The readers of the Rrtriot were duly ap-
priSed in our news columns Of Il recent cpl
Sude in the Lancaster county court i'll
! which Judge Patterson undertook to intlict
summary punishment upon tho editors ot
! the Lancaster lNrELIIGENCER (who are
! also members of the Lancaster bar) for
publishing i'll their newspaper an article
which the judge regarded rs rejecting on
| the dignity of the court. Judge Patterson
has issued rule un the offending lawyer
editors to show cause why their names
should not be stricken from the list oi
prlcticing attorneys ut the bar Of his court.
He is virtually the prosecutor i'll the mat
ter. and by issuing this rule has also con-
stituted himself the Judge and jury. This
course of the judge is rs unjust rs il is
unwiSe. 1t is unjust because the accuScr
should not sit in judgement on tho accused.
nor can person who claims tn have been
wrongcd. no matter what public station he
may fill, justly claim to be made the judge
OF the guilt or innocence OF the party
charged with committing the wrong. 1t
is unwise because Judge Patterson will
not secure II viE,lication worth anythins.
the INTEILIGENCEE attorneys. There is
another remedy open to him. 4 prosecution
for libel to be tried in another court than
his own. and that is the remedy hr should
pursue if he believes the article of whicl.
he complains to be false and scandalous.
He Helped +" Make the Constitution.
Erie Herald.
That there are men on the bench whn
should ret right oil and sit in dark corner
durin. the rest of their lives is true. That
there are many such. We would not like to
believe. But Lancaster, in our own state.
has one. and Maine has II half II dozen.
This Lancaster judge waxed exceeding
wroth because the INTEILIGENCER. Il
journal of the highest character. criticised
some proceedings in his court, and he
summoned the editors of that paper before
him and proceeded to catcchise them il,
genuine star chamber fashion. These
cstimabie gentlemen very properly refused
! to answer him, and being members of the
bar, the Judge ordered them to show cause
why they should not 10 disbarred. IL was
Il high handed outrage. and We do not
think any one can show reason why the
judge-Judse Patterson his name is
should not be promptly impeached. The
constitution of Pennsylvania contains Il
liberal provision for the security OF the
freedom Of the press. Judge Patterson
should spend the remainder of his days
studying the constitution, and learning.
how best to curb his angry passions.
Not u Dnvy Crockett.
Columbia Herald.
The Lancaster lNTELILGENCER editors
have been having . tilt with Judge Patter,
son. The Judge called the editors, who
are also lawyers, into court and made tho
attempt to get them to say, rs lawyers,
what they had said as editors. In that
he failed and then rule was served upon
them to show cause why they shoult
not be disbarred and their names
stricken from the list of attorneys.
The rule is made returnable on Friday,
the Both inst, at 10 O'Clock. This action
of Judge Patterson is being severely con
demned by the press of the state, and he
will 10 doubt find that he has made i
great mistake. Ii the lNTELLIGENcER re,
marks were libelOus he had his remedy
but to constitute himself judge, jury and
cxecutiOner will not do for this climate
Crockett's, '.be sure you're right, then 80
ahead would have been \ good sentencc
for Judge Patterson to have remembered
birthday Party.
Prison Inspector John Hortin. he
came 40 years of aye at O'Clock thi