Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1883-05-26
THes. <. sK1NKER.
The Supreme Court Reporter Comes
to His Own Defense.
His Connection With .the BOND
Cases ana His Relation TO lhs
County Courts-Why He
Had tho Judges I'm.
@ Prisoned.
IFrom the sedslis Democrat

From the sedalia Democrat.l
1 ST: Louis. May g. 1883. =
ED1ToR D-EMocRAT:-My attention has beer
called to an editorial in your paper of the 18th
inst. in which you ~criticise the manner in which
perform my duties as reporter of the desision.
OF the supreme court Of Missouri. and renec,
severely. upon me for my connection with Ger
tam county bond cases. Allow me space in
your columns to correct some erroneous state
ments in your article, and some charges calcu.
lated ID produce false Impressions to my dStri.
| ment.
You say of M
BESIDES. he ls shamefully neglecting the
duties Of his ofac-Gor which he Il amply COM
pensated-and giving his entire attention to such
private business as the bond cases. There are
enough opinions already rendered by the court to
complete the seventy-slxth and sevsnty-seventh
Missouri reports. The, publishers ct Kansas
City. Messrs. Ramsey, Mlllett- & Hudson, say
that their great drawback is their failure TO re-
celve copy from the reporter, and therefore the
reporter. and therefore the reports are always
delayed, to the Inconvenience Of the bar and the
neglect OF the law. 1t Mr.. Sklnker would nj.
tend to his duties as official reporter, and pay
less attention TO the persecution OF county
judges. it would be better for the public
SERVICE"
These statements are, nc doubt, made upon
what you deemed to be competent authority
Tbey are. nevertheless, in every essential par.
tlcular untrue. There are not enough opinions
already delivered to complete the 10th and nth
volumes There are aboutenough to complete vol
ume IS, and that volume Is now more than half
printed. Neither is 1t true that I have failed 10
furnish the publishers with sufficient COPY.
During the five years and q half have been al
this work, 1 have furnished them copy at the
rate OF two volumes . year, and I am doing the
same now. do not believe the publishers have
ever stated anything to the contrary Of this. The
opinions Of the 5th of February last are now
going to press. and by July all opinions deliv-
cred prior TO the present term will be published.
This Is bringing out the reports as promptly as |
any of my predecessors hags done; much more
promptly than Is done In many Of the states. and |
as promptly as is done in any. state in the Union |
except Illinois, where the reporter, rs 1 am in |
formed. receives from his Office In the way or
salaries and other emoluments $40 900 per an
mum. ard has a corps Of asslstsnts. NV salary, |
as you stated. is 81 900. and l have no assistant.
AS TO the general charge of neglect of duty,
that ia %unioundea l undertake to say that l
devote to the duties of my Office as many hours
day as officers generally give, or are expect
ed to give, to the service of the public, and
take no vacations.
Unlike the judges and clerks of courts, the
is not prohibited by law from practice
ng his profession. and his salary IL fixed at .
very moderate figure. with . view to that fact,
my predecessors have practiced, and it 10
with reporters everywhere to do 80. or
course 1t is expected that the reporter shall not,
or the sake of his practice, permit the public
business to suffer. 1 have always kept this rule
tric!ly In view, as 1 have every reason to
believe the bench and the bar of the stale will
estIfy.
As to my connection with the bond cases.
IN free to say that for the last ten years they
AVE constituted the principal part of my private
am not in part. but wholly, respon.
for the imprisonment of the county Judges
Lafayette and Cass counties-so far as the
'ction OF an attorney can create responsibility
such a case. I, alone. and. not In conjunction
Nth any other attorney, obtained the order Tor
heir commitment. and therein rendered q service
ne people OF these counties, the value of which I
o many already acknowledge, and all will yet
ckhowiedge. But for my action. the compro- !
aise which now bids fair to set Cass county
gain on the high road to prosperity would not +,
o-day be under way. But We're my conduct in. i,
lrlous instead OF beneficial to the counties. how !
ouid the supreme court interfere SO long as /
my enicial duties faithfully? l do not, ;
you suggest, violate any oath of ONCE in {
rosecutipg bond suits. 1 have sworn to support I
nd obey the constitution and the laws OF the
'nlted States, ind the state of Missouri-and '
OF the will OF the people of any county. There c
nothing In this oath that would prevent me- q
defending a man charged with crime, and .
JUS tyou night say arrayIng myself against 4,
lie state Itself. IT there Ia. then are all the at .
'rneys prohibited from defending criminals. for =
l have taken the same oaths The court cannot v
'quire me to desist from practice altogether, a
either can 1t prescribe what kind of GASES 1 q
,all take or refuse. The court has the power 4
remove me. but the law 1t is we'll understood.
nes not intend the power shall be exercised
kept for cause-from some dereifction of Of
,inl duty. Attempting by due process of law
collect debts ~adjudged by the courts to be due,
not such a derelIction. Respectfully.
IT X SRINKER