Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1883-11-10

for the position, and we proposed to
demonstrate that, in our judgment,
a proper self respect and a just regard
for its own dignity demanded his re-
moval on the part of the court.
The township aid act under which
large Indebtedness has been incurred,
was held by the supreme court of Mis-
souri, to be unconstitutional, in which
view the U. S. supreme court concur
red, but, in a later cause, involving the
same issue, the latter court reversed
itself, to which reversal the supreme
court of Missouri submitted like the
smitten anvil, as we may suppose.
At a meeting in st. Louis composed
OF representatives from this county and
Of the township bondholders and their
attorneys, terms for the composition OF
this debt were agreed upon, subject to
ratification by our indebted townships.
Mr.. Skinker participated in this meet
ing, and since has been the most per-
sistent and formidable obstructionist to
the settlement, demanding payment in
full on his claims, and vigorously
pressing prosecutions in the federal
courts. These claims, mark you underthe
decisions of the court, which appointed
and retains him, and which arbitrarily
debars US from the right of petition
| asking ON its part the exercise of a
purely political, not a judicial function,
were held to be unconstitutional and
invalid. ---
1t was on the infexible demand Of
Mr.. Skinker that our county court
judges were, and are imprisoned, torn
from their homes and their families,
and at incalculable loss to. their bust
ness, for an alleged refusal to do what
they cannot do, pay Mr.. Skinker's
mythical client, one Cochran Fleming
his total claim where over nine-tenthf
of the creditors have accepted the set
tlement on the basis adopted at a pop
ular election in the county, and from
the terms of which the county court
has neither the right nor the authority
to deviate.
Recently when Mr.. Skinker wal
clamoring for closer confinement o.
our county judges, at the close of
furleugh granted by judge Krekel te
enable them to attend to indispensable
official business, and when the shadow
Of death were gathering around thu
orphaned ward and nephew of one o
our imprisoned judges, it was only
through the appeal of our county at.
terney, Mr.. Blackwell,to the clemency
and humanity of Judge Krekel, tha
this prisoner judge was permitted t.
stay by the dying-now dead youn9
man.
In our judgment the violation of thu
principles of the great charter, crystal
lied four centuries later in the act o.
habeas corpus, the irrepressable yearn-
ing Of humanity for freedom, ant
the baffled but unyielding strug.
gle, empurpling many sanguinar!
fields, and peopling with il
heroic votaries, the rayless dungeons
of the oppressOr until at last as oul
fathers thought, and as we though
these principles were impregnably in
trenched in the palladium of our con.
stitution, we say the alarming disre
gard of priceless personal rights in thu
imprisonment of our county judges
and the manifest tendency to the inva.
sion Of the rights and dignity of the
state, have at least equal claims to tn,
grave consideration and punctiliously
tender solicitude Of our supreme
Judges, as the displacement of all ap.
pointee from office unless first arraign.
ed and convicted of high crimes ani
misdemeaners in the routine line O
official duty.
The property affected by these COM
positions may embrace one third of the
taxable wealth OF the state, amounting
perhaps to two hundred millions o
dollars, from which that proportion o
Mr.. Skinker's salary is derived, and ,
like quota of the compensation of tn,
Justices Of the supreme court, and shoult
the paralysis of Imprisonment seizt
upon other judges, as it has on ours
stripping them of their judicial func
tions, the levies for local and stat,
revenues and their collection, must b
subjected to effectual suspense.
i The composition and adjustment o
municipal debts in Missouri, was ant
is necessity, both to the creditor ant
debtor classes.
Years ago, in 1866, when the stat
debt, on account of aid to railroad
alone; amounted, principal and accrue,
interest, on a computation fixing it
status for the 1st of January 1868 t.
$50, 100000, joint committees Of tn
Senate and House submitted schem
for scaling this debt.
This was averted by the payment OF
the part of the general. government Q
some 100000 on account of wa
claims, and by other unusual source
J of revenue. But for these causes tn
scaling measures would have been in
: evitable, and would have been accepted
by the holders of such obligations, 70
the state is sovereign. The indebte,
: counties and other municipalities ha'
J no such revenues and our county bein
conspicuous on account of the magni
tude of its debt, secured the requisit
legislation, and took the initiative il
} consummating settlements.
No one can call in question, the ex
ceptional liberality of our proposition
OF adjustment and our good faith in ful
filling the compromise compact, and w
have right to expect from all goo,
citizens, whether in private or publ
station, their countenance and support il
the removal of all obstacles to the settle
ment and their aid in its complete con
summation.
Houinn boop rof,,eo1 , ,,,1,..,.I...-..