Omaha daily bee., 1884-12-24
Judgesas

From the Springfield (llO Register.
Mr.. Stephen b. Moore, of Ksnkakee,
in a communication to the State Register
on the subject of discrimination In rail-
road freights, which appeared to-day in
our columns offers some facts and sug-
gestions which are timely. 1t may be al.
legged by those who would make light of
his complaints, that Mr.. Moore Is q
man with a grievance. That may be 30;
but he is not lonesome In that role. Re-
cent vents have demonstrated that the
business men of this city are In the same
boat with Mr.. Moore, and the same could
be said of other communities in this state.
What he says, however, will be read with
interest, and, 1t Is to be hoped. with
profit.
Among the suggestions In the commu.
nication is one that it is to be profoundly
regretted there is an occasion for outside
of the connection in which IL Is made
For there can be no question that judges,
of all men, should be free from even the
suspicion of favoritism. We do not as.
sert that all Judges are unduly Influenced
by railroad passes, or that the railroads
demand or expect the quiz pro quo In
official mslfeasance. But the acceptance
and use of railroad passes and other favors
from corporations by the judiciary creates
a suspicion In thepublic mind that lessons
the respect and confidence of the people
for the bench and its declsions. Judges
are human like the rest of the people,
and 1t cannot be otherwise than that they
should appreciate, and, if possible, recip.
rocate fsvors received. In what way can
a judge reciprocate the compliment of a
railroad pass that a private citizen cannot
unless it is In connection with his official
position. If he reciprocates In the per-
Torrance of his official duties, in what
way can he do 30 without detrimept to
the obligations he is under to the whole
people and to the lawl These questions
are asked daily by people who, while
paying their own fare, see the judges
riding by their sides on passes. The &C.
ceptance of passes by judges is wrong,
and the State Register agrees with MIR.
Moore that it should be prohibited.
Hon. John Wentworth, of Chicago, re.
Gently wrote to a railway manager on the
use of railroad passes by judges as fol.
lows:
The pass system has done much to
ALLEVIATE the people from railroad corpora
tions. What can the people think when
they see the judges of our courts riding
upon a pass, while the mass of the peo-
pie have to pay their faresl And what
will those judges think when they lose
their passes as soon as they lose their Of
fices2 If the railroad companies could
hear the remarks of the people when a
prominent man exhibits his pass, l am
sure they would change their course !
was riding by the side of a judge but a
| few days since, when he snutfied over a
mass of passes almost equal in bulk to a
| pack of cards to find the right one.
When he loses his position as judge he of
course will know why the passes were
| given him.
MI. Wentworth refers to the effect the
distribution of passes to judges has upon
the standing of the roads with the peo-
| pie, as we'll as the effect 1t has upon the
Judges themselves. But it is the latter
| which presents the most serious aspects
aud which demands Legislative considera.
ton. The incident related by Mr.. Went
worth is one the like of which may be
seen almost any day on our railroad
trains. Circuit, appellate, and even our
supreme judges have their pockets full OF
passes, and it is not infrequent that their
families also travel deadhead. Who pays
for this? and how Is it paid for? are peril.
nent questions. But 1t makes no differ
ence whether the question can be an
swered satisfactorily or not, nor whether
the passes are paid for In any way-the
fact is indisputable that not only the
giving of these passes brings into disrer
pute the corporations that distribute
them, but what Is of far more moment
the reception and use of them seriously
furnishes the Judiciary of the state which
should be above suspicion and wear I'M
soiled the ermine.