New-York tribune., 1882-04-20

scornful terms on everybody's lips shortly afte
our investigation had begun, for so notorious
were the abuses and so evident was the coliu-
sion which made them possible, that the people
and the papers did not hesitate to connect the
names of the corrupt judges and their iaFor-
ties. TIE TRIBUNE's investigation, as 1t pro-
ceeded, showed that Barnard had rech'cSSiy
put n young and breticss country parrlstc' III
charge of corporations with assets Oh h'''o"'
TO pav the demands of hundreds ana even
thousands OF more or less honest cl"'u''i''
represented by scores OF more or less corrupt
LAWYERS. The references when CafuoZo ia"
thrown TO a nephew were hundreds III NUMBER
and the fees mostly illegal charges, which hc
allowed his Graft amounted annually 10 sum
which the foremost lawyers OF the city Wouiu
have considered ample reward Tor thclr peSV
LEGAL Efforts McCunn, 1t was shown, hah
ru;ncd scores of merchants and bankrupted
many small cOrporations for the advantage oil
his r,voritcs-and himself. The SONS of another
;ud,c nroitcd to the extent of hundreds of thou
sands Of dollars by Illegal allowances OF fees as
rercrocs in suits which had been necdessy re-
ferrcd by him to them. The TRIBUNE expo
sures led to legislative inquiry into these
abuses Barnard was impeached, found guilty
and dismissed from the bench McCunn died III
disgrace; Cardozo iudiciousy resigned III the
nick of time and the "Gratzes" scattered III
every direction. They pay their penalty, how
ever, for to this day they are permitted by q
distressing public to languish in professional
obscu1ity, and some--the least guilty, as usual,
in great poverty.
The present investigations, as We have said,
IL,
same class of obscure lawyers profit by them.
The stock and pClcy-holdcrs of the same gen
cral class Of corporations appear as the chlcf
sufferers Receivers who receive only ana
never pay out are put III charge OF corpora
tions on the prctencc that the officers already
in are mismanaging funds or using the institu-
tion for their own benefit. The same extra
ordinary clairns for fees and retaners are made
and allowed alike to receivers and lawyers.
Think of one lawyer, acting for little over
three months as receiver Of an insolvcnt insur-
ance company, asking $4,000 for his services,
and his attorney claiming $4,000 for the same
time. Imagine the mOdcsty of n claim ol
$3.50 for five months service as receiver,
with a full force OF clerks to do the necessary
work. And then contemplate with patience II
one can lawyer OF moderate ability charging
AS referee at the rate of $40 rs for each oil
ninety-four hearings, when the legal charge
was 50. and the same lawyer who thus assessed
the value of his own services has admitted that
$50 hearing would be an exorbitaut charge
for such work.
All this is legal, the lawyers say, and they 90
on wrecking and bankrupting, and rely with
confidence Oh the Courts to award them fees at
these excessive rates And there is no remedy
or recover, it seems after the Court legalZeS
the plundering. AttorneyS-General may ex-
cent and dispute, but the Court which made Tn"
award is the one to settle the exceptions.
| Legislative committees may compel the re-
ceivcrs to come forward and confess how much
| they took ont of the assets, but they cannot
compel restitution to the swndled stock
holders. But though there may be no restltu-
ton, the receivers and referees may rest as
sured there will some day be retribution.
day of settlement must come. 1t Is impossible
| that men who by process of spOliatlon, even
though it be legalized, dishonOr their profession
| and bring the judges who are friendly to them
under grave put lie suspicion, should escape
condemnation at the hands of the people.
That final tribunal is not easily corrupted.
| And in the fate of the "GratzeS" of a decade
ago they may see what is the inevitable end of
those who may now be exposed as unquestion-
ably guilty.