The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-18
Probability that the President Will Carefully
Scrutinize Future Recommendations Made
by illinois Democratic Statesmen.
Democratic Abuse of Assistant Secretary
Coon Because of His Republicanism.
How the European Complications Are Regard
ed in Military Circles-A Novel Device
for Entrapping the Finny Tribe.
THE TERRITORIAL JUDICIARY.
The Case of Judge Vincent The President
Duped Into appointing an Unfit Man.

Duped Into Appointing an Unfit Man.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1.-THE indications are
that the President might have written more LETT
ters than one condemning the course of certain
of his party friends in advising the appointment
of members of the Judiciary in the Territories.
1t seems now that Vincent, recently appointed
United States judge in New Mexico, in order to
improve upon the late Judge Axtell, is about az
deep in the mud as that gentleman is in the
mire. That is to say, the United States courts
in the Southern Territories have for years been
tainted to great extent to land grant incorpor-
ations and land grabbing syndicates The judge
whom Cleveland removed is said to
have been connected with one of these
concerns, and the evidence thus far adduced
was rather against him. It seems now that Vim
cent; the new man, has also been an attorney
for the parties to the suit which led to the re-
moval of Judge Axtel The President has found
it necessary to remove, at least to suspend Vim
cent, and it is probable that his ultimate remov-
al will follow. In the meantime, the sanity
Springer and other statesmen from Illinois, who
so loud in their praises of the spotless Vim
cent. go free: but it is safe to wager that the
roSluenI Will ScrutlDlZ0 more clOSejy IN the
future any recommendations which these gem
tlemen may submit to him. It is unfortunate
that President Cleveland has been so badly
duped by his friends. Never in the history oe
the government have so many fagrant mistakes
been made in SO short period.
What Caused the Action of the President
Washington Post (Dem.)
The suspension of William A. Vincent, of Illi-
nois, who was appointed last June to be Chief
justice of the Supreme Court of New Mexico,
was ordered by the President, it seems, on the
recommendation of Secretary Lamar.
The three commissioners appointed by Vincent
to select grand and petit jurorsin Colfax county,
N. NJ. are Stephen W Dorsey. A. G. Burnham
and Julian Garlic. All three are supposed to be
interested in business specula1ons in that local
ity, chiefly in holding public lands on the
strength of spurious titles and obtaining spurious
titles by questionable means. In view of these
facts, and of the fact that the jurors of sColfax
county may be called upon to decide between
the rival claims of Dorsey and his confederates,
on the one side, and the government of the
United States on the other, neither the Secretary
of the Interior. the Attorney-general nor the
President consider it advisable that the men
should be empowered to pick the Jurors by whom
the charges to be tried. The President is
utterly surprised at the appointments made. IL
Vincent had been stranger to New Mexico and
the land frauds that have been committed there,
tine selection of the commissioners in question
might have been regarded as a serious blunder,
but in the light of Vincent's experience in the
Territory and the land grabbing that has been
going on there, the appointments that he has made
appear to be worse than a blunder and the moro
the matter is looked at by the authorities in
Washington the worse it seems.
Not long before his appointment in Jnne Mr.
Vincent had been prisoner in New Mexico for
contempt of court He had been attorney for
the Ottawa boys, who claimed some mining prop
erty, which also claimed by the Canon del
Arna Land Grant Company While the litiga-
ton was pending the Ottawa boys, by advice of
Vincent and his legal associates in the case took
possession of the property by force, in opposition
to mandamus issued by Judge Artell Whom
Vincent afterward superseded) in favor of the
Land Grant Company. This advice and the ac-
tion OF his clients, the Ottawa boys, cost Vincent
two months imprisonment Patents covering
the legal title to the property in dispute were
afterward granted to the Land Grant Company
Having been engaged in the prosecution of land
claims in New Mexico. Mr.. Vincent cannot have
been ignorant of the fact that reports made to
the Forty eighth Congress charge Dorsey with
the acquisition of land titles there by fraudulent
means.