The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-06-21
WASHINGTON T
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Our Regular Correspondence
WAsHlNGroN, DC,
lime 1S ISS3(

from Cur Regular Oorrespondcnt.J'
WAsHlNGroN, DC,
h. June Is, 1881
The Supreme Court not having
yet adjourned there is still a slight
evidence Of life in and about the cap
itol building. Somebody has lately
been writing about the over worked
condition o fthe judges of this court
1t really is too bad. The easy going
farmers and business men orer the
country who labor from sun to sun,
and several hours besides, will SYM
pathize with these poor judges when
they hear the story OF their wrongs.
EThey sit for four or five hours every
day except Saturday. On that day
they get together in the consultation
room and go over the cases of the
week, compare notes and agree on a
decision. Then the chief justice
names the judge who is to prepare
the opinion. There are nine judges,
and of course each has his turn at
the opinions. Of course there is
some labor in the preparation Of an
important opinion in an important
lease, covering q decision which must
stand as the law of the land. And
it has been asked when q judge is to
perform this, the real brain work Of
his position. Shall he do it when he
comes home from the court in the
middle of the afternoon and hungry
for his dinner? Probably not. Will
he do it after dinner? Not likely
for he generally has engagements,
and most of the time he hos to dine
out, which is surely incompatible
with writing opinions. Many brain
workers do their best at nights, bat
if n judge is full of terrapin, canvas
backs, Burgundy and champagne
he can't write at night, and he won,
feel much in the humor for it the
.next morning. So, on the whole the
position is full of difficulties. 3. st
Speaking of dining out, it is hoped
that President Arthur will be able
for a time to restrain his propensity
for big dinners and their accompani
ments. 1 am Informed that after the
Willard Bartlett dinner in New York
he experienced Il recurrence of The
same symptoms which were noticed
at Savannah on the recent southern
trip. These frequent indulgences
seem TO be telling heavily upon his
physical powers, robust as they are
His countenance is sometimes flush
ed and sometimes paid. Champagne
and Burgundy freely used will tell
The President betook himself to the
cottage at the Soldiers Home Sat
urday and will remain there unit
about the 10th of July, when he will
GO to Newport for a short stay
From there he will go on board the
Despatch for a trip along the coast
as far east as Mount Desert. Thil
may occupy three weeks. He will
then try once more some of the goot
fishing in Canadian waters, such a:
he enjoyed last year. In Angus. b,
hopes to be able to go to the Yose
mite Valley. This is said to be ar
authoritative statement of his plans
The result of the s%tar-route tria
adds one more to the violent shocks
which our jury system has recently
received, and there must be some
doubt in the minds of intelligent
men how many such the system
can stand. There has all along beer
misgivings about this iury-its com
petence to deal with the case. Blu
the most sanguine friends of the ac
cused neve hoped for an acquittal
1t was generally believed that the
defendants were sure of one or more
Jurors, and o disagreement was OF
this account looked for; but the an
nouncement of a verdict of "not gull
ty" created universal surprise anj
amazement. How it was brought
about is a profound mystery as yet
1t gives the phenomenal result of de
claring innocent, with the others
one defendant who was convicted OF
the first trial and who entered a pie.
of guilty in the present trial. Blu.
this verdict will not change the on,
which the hoest, intelligent Ameri
can people rendered against thes'
plunderers long ago, when the fact
were first made known. And in al
the circumstances and intricacies o
this memorable trial there is but on,
redeeming feature-the record mad
by Richard Merrick as attorney 70
the people. Whatever may b
, thought of the character or goo'
+. faith of the fellow Bliss, who, rs a
old chum of the President, has re
5 ceived somewhere in the neighbol
hood of $4,000 of the peoples MOI
ey for his part in the affair, nobod
! doubts that in Mr.. Merrick the go,
eminent lad at least one attorne
: who was honestly working to punis
f rascality. And he performed hi
part nobly. That justice has bee
cheated is certainly not his fault.
Z PROMO.