The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-02-12
FROM BENCH TO BAR.
The Motives which Induced Judges
Mo.sary aud Dillon
10 Rcsiga Their Positions 10 Serve
Railway Corporations.
HON Uuclc sam Pays judges Of Courts.

81. LOUIS, Feb, 4.-IEditor HEnALp'l-
Some weeks siuoe l observed Ia your valu'
able uud iptereotng pa, tr, Va the form OF
an editorial, some very severe comments
upou judges MCCrdfy and lilllou Tor re-
signing their respective positions on the
bench, ard iakin scryire a. the legal de'
paftn4snt Of railroads. Knowing the CON
terYailsm o, ITO nEgALD, rn' N"NlnE AZ
ways been deeply iut-r.sied IN us success,
ard impressed, 100, Us have beer, WITH q
belief IA its great ufeiulhete, l take the IL
berty of o1ntesting with you the eoupdness
or propTiety OF the structures referred To-
AZ istrue that jude Dillon resigned his
position on the Unit States circuit court
bench, which paid him u salary a $1,000
per annum. and that ne took em-
ployment from railroads ana toe
graph corporation, on a large sai'
in the law department oi Columbia uni
versity, IN New York, At salary of Slo,'
600 per sunum, with the privilege OF open
lug n law office In New York, as his leo
lures IN the law school only required MS
presence during two hours out OF the
twenty Jour. Some time aterward be was
salaries, aud resigned his proiessorship IN
the law school.
! suppose Il is beyond doubt that Judge
McCrRry resigned his position for the pun
pose OF accepting position az head Of the
legal department OF the Atchson. Topeka
& Santa Fo Railway company, and doubt
lees q u large salary. do NOT Know what
the SALARY b..
You assume this 10 not right, aud that IL
exerts demoralziu. influences, ! cannot
10. my life discover anything wrong IN ~
or ANYTHING hurliul, as question Of pub
Judge McCrary ia over 90 years Of age,
and has no fortune. HIS position on tho
bench afforded him only $1,000 per annum.
His circuit wac very large one and t1ree-
iourths of his time, II not more, was re-
uuired away from bis home aun his lam 'iy.
/ heard him say--sud 10 Is doubtless true
and that too, before he thought OF resign
ing, that his hotel bills and travt j.
Ing expenses were more Than " OlO mr.
annum, while the expenses OF his family ~
home were tho came as II he had been
,bsTe. that In the education OF hia children,
sustaining his home, etc., he was not ablo
TO save one dollar FOR the rainy day which
every man expects TO come NJ some time
during his lie. Suppose the railroad com
many offered Judge MoCrry $4,000 per
'ruuui, and 10 furnish him an ONCE, ana
70 pay D., his travelling expenses. would
n H.. lust CO to his family TO decline, aud
still retain the public posi- on when IL ala
not add one dollar to his fortune.
II Judge McCrarv on the bench, 81 ould
deliver opinions favoring railway compan-
les. and Us Q rswGre for them be offered y
position in its service, that would be cor
ruption, aud an act Tor which he should be
impeached. But ! presume no one who
kuowp Judge McJrary personally or by rep
ntntion. would indulge the suspicion, for
~ne moment. that he would bee a party 10
any such contrac', directly or indirectly.
In the case Of Jude D Hon, ! presume
no one who has ever known hiu would in
dulcc the suspicion tor one moment That be
did anything, while upon The uencn,
looking 10 the ohtainlng OF
sucn employment. Both OF these
gentlenen have exhibited q
proionnd knowledge Of the laws which up
nrrtnin TO corporations. Judge Dillon ives
prr-Ptniyent in that Departments OF his Pre-
lcg. l.r. lie has written great many able
opiniors and hes contributed largely to
legal learning on the subject.
1t has become fashionable AZ TINS d9y,
hoVeypr. to indulge IN unwarrnntod md
olleu iucipsidegatc attacks upo cornora-
tigus in their relation 20 nc courts, to leg s.
lstiyo bodies, and to public officials, 40 wei
ms 10 the commerce OF the country. he
hustinps TEEN with bitter inveotive, uttered
often times without reflection, and because
Ieveled at capital and glded wealth, accept
able to the popuiace.
sult of The promulg CATION OF such aoctrines,
either by the press or upon the musings, ~
that feuce-cutting will be one OF the smell
eat of the evils which will result, what
ever degrades the dignity of the bench or
breaks down public confidence in the integ'
rily of the judiciary, dlmlnishes Use re-
snSct and fear which hold in restraint the
law breaker from repeated and more agtra
waited offences; and anything and every hing
which tends to antagonizelabor against zap,
ital, or poverty aganst wealth, i1sters and
fans the flames already fearfuily kindled
in the larger cities OF America. Of commun-
little sympathy with these things rs have,
or / would not address you this letter, Be-
cause of your high conservatism, was the
more pained to see the editorial referred to.
Please excuse this liberty. and ascrihe. 1t
To the hand OF friendship, and to a desire
to maintain the equ'itbriums oil society
Yours very truly, ,
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