Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-05-23
ruE csrsr AsD Irs EDITOR.
TPhiladelphia Press. !

The Seattle chroaicle, Published ct
what its residsnts hope will be the ter
minus Of the Northern Pacific on Puget
Sound, being unAble b. meet its liabil-
tiles, vas placed, at the instance of its
creditors, in the hands of q receiver.
Chief Justice Roger J. Greene, Of the
Supreme Court Of Washington Terri
tory, appointed the recssiyer. and the
latter In turn appointed DIR. Z. @. Mont
gomerY to edit the paper. This editor,
not appfeeiatinQ the peculiar position
IN which the bankrupt journal was
placed. Immediately began to use its
columns 60 abuse the Chief Justice, to
whom Indirectly he Owed his place.
Judge Greene did not like this and
forthwith issued aud executed an order
Of court disoharRinR the editor and
suspendina the payer.
The New York Sea, in its laudabls
zeal and eommendable jealousy for the
liberty of the press. deaounces this act
OF Chief Justice Greene as q high
handed outrage. unprecedented in the
annals Of Journalism II argues:
II libeled, judge. like an individual,
has legal remedy for the wrong, bot
be has no right TO use the Judicial power
arbitrarily 10 punish . writer because
his writings do not suit the Ooart. Any
sneh censorship Of the press as that d.
recied in the order of the Chief Justice
is wrong in principle and not TO be toll
Grated.
We are nos aure that his Hoaor the
Chief Justice deserves sach severe con
demnasion, and are inclined 10 suspect
that Editor Montgomery Is good deal
Of q fool. The papsr had fallen into a.
nanciai straits and had been placed in
the custody ef the Ceart. Nov for the
editor employed 10 f,onduat the paper
10 abuse the coart, which for the time
being, represented iose who owned or
were pscuniarily interested In the jour
nal was a. uubeooming as il would have
been for him under ordinary circum-
stances to have abused the proprietoFs.
Il dos net lie In the face Of ward in
ehaneeFy 10 abuse the chancellor. or II
an employe puhlicly tradueks his en-
ployea be has little reason 10 complain
IL he gets his walking papers forthwith.
Bat the Chief Justice, the San sug
gesfs, has his remedy Is Law II he
theught himself Iibeled. To sue the
Caraaieis. which Wis In she custody Of
bis eoart, J Judge Greene would first have
had to apply 20 himsaif a. chancellor
for permission 30 bring the suit. True,
there - some authority for such novel
proceeding. The Sss will doubtless TO-
eall casa. reported. ws believe. In
Fenrth Gilbert a Sailivan, wherein the
highly susceptible Lord Chancellor
marshals the ditiisulties which beses an
equity judge under circumstances anal
eeoas. II not similar. 20 the present.
We commend 20 the consideration Of
the San the able shsfer dsefsa there rem
dersd. whether 9 chapcellor can cona-
init himself for contemps Of his oSn
coart for marrying his own ward with
out his own enniens, is not more per
pisxfnG than WHISTLER the iudGe Of q
court which undertakes % conduct q
nswspAper can si,tain his evn permis-
sion % 80 hts 0vn paper for seesine
| himself.
We regret THAI thess troablesome
acesiions have IIot been thoroughly SET
q ress foe the guidance Of tue Chief
Justice Of Washington Territory in his
present complication. Thaf sagacious
iarist. however. has ssnpliasd The sta
alton By arbitrarily sandsrinR the bonds
which aaitea tie abasise editor 10 he
Ceart. The yaaes may nos preseeuss
Montgomery fOi nhsl Il he chooses. oai
10 have retained him 80 editor vAils
ssskiac redress for the hhel In Tia
Cuufa would. we think, have been ~
asf az ssif- stalsnsAsisn on the part q
his Henus. Ne jury ooald be expected
% award damages fer lihel which th,
eomplainaBt treated - of % little con
seqasnce that be voluntarily retaine<
the iibeler tn bis employ and in posi
sioa whieh enabled him 30 repsAt kns
aaeravAts the original offsnca In spitl
az tAe eloqasnee Of The Szn. we srs no
persnaded thai the lihsrty of the pres
has been 10 she least assaulted BY a
eqaify JadRe diseipiinisa cnntumA
eio1e eiisar shs was - TIE same tim
his saherdinafsl