Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-08
A RINGING REPROOF
Is Dealt to Judge Whites
Traducers in Public Halls.
SEWICKLEY'S INDIGNATION
PourS Forth in Remarks of Ridicule
and in Long Resolutions.
AJUDGE'S THREATENING LETTERS
Come From a Few, While Many in Mass
Meetings Praise Him.
A JUDGES THREATENING LETTERS
REV. DR.. ALLISON THE CHEF SPEAKER

Nearly 800 people gathered in the Opera
House at Sewickley last night to express
their opinion of Hon. George Shiras' at
tempt to have Judge White investigated.
They included business and pro-
fessional men of Pittsburg who live in the
beautiful villagei the townsfolk who are
neighbors of Judge White; cOuntrymen
from farms miles around Sewickley, and
more than dozen of ladies. The character
of the audience was itself compliment TO
the Judge.
The meeting was called to order at s:15.
o'clock. John Way, Jr., was chosen Chair
man and P. D. Nichols Secretary. The Vice
Presidents included DR.. r. ]. McCready, Will
lam Miller. J. McElwaine, S. McCleary. Will
lam Parker, Rev. W. o. Campbell. Rev. James
Allison, D. c. Herbst n. ]. Watson, Captain
George W. Cochran r. J. Fetwell, W. P.
Murray, William and f. Shannon.
POOR, BUT HONEST.
Messrs. W. R. Wallace. Thomas Patterson
and John Dickson were appointeda Committee
on Resolutions. They retired, and while the
assembly awaited report of their delibera-
tions, Captain George W. Cochrane, formerly
Of the Pittsburg Petroleum Exchange was
called upon for speech.
The Captain paid an earnest tribute to the
integrity of His Honor Judge White founded
upon years of business dealing ne had had
with him. He pronounced him one of
the purest jurists on the bench,
and said he could not reconcile the intimations
of judicial corruption with the fact that the
Judge is still poor man. If he had sold Ii
censes he couldn't help being a millionaire
now. He severely denounced the attempt to
impeach him as an insult to lawIoying people
and a menace TO American institutions.
The committee soon returned 10 the room
and submitted the following resolutions as its
report:
WHEREAS The reputation of Hon. J. W. F.
White. one of the Judges Of the Court of Com
Pleas of this county, has been most out
rageOusly attacked by means of q resolution at
tempted TO be offered by member of the State
Legislature and given to the public press; and
Whereas, The said resolution recites that the
various scandalous matters stated therein are
''Rlleged and currently believed by large pro-
portion Of the citizens of this county; be it
THEIR SOLEMN PROTEST.
Resolved, That we, the citizens of the Sewickley
Valley and neighpors of Judge White, in meeting
assembled, without regard to political party o.
sentiment to existing license law the pending
amendment, do express our intense Indignation
at the charge, and declare our confidence in Judge
tegrity.
Resolved, Thdt we are of the opinion that the
attack is made on Judge White on account Of his
fearless and conscientious discharge his duties
in the late License Court and are not otherwise
founded and would lot otherwise be presented,
- Resolved. That we desire to record our firm and
sincere convictions that in his actions in the Ii
cense Court, Judge White was not actuated by
any other motive than an honest desire to faith
fully discharge his duties i'm accordance with his
oath Of office. the law of the land and his response
bilty TO his conscience.
Resolved. That the proposition to impeach a
Judge for the exercise of his discretion vested in
him by the law is a direct assault on the freedom
and Independence of the Judiciary and as such is
TO be deprecated and resisted destructive Of
Institutions.
GEORGE Ill CATCHES IT.
DR.. Wallace. as member of the committee,
defended the resolutions. He said the people
of the Sewickley valley are shocked at this at
tack upon their respected townsman, Judge
White. He dwelt upon the good qualities of
the jurist treated the movement against him
more as the designs Of liquor men than of
learned attorneys, and said that the spirit of
the American people would always protest
against such assaults Of the originator of
these impeachment resolutions at Harrisburg
he said that George, or whatever his name
was, l, II, or III either, was not the man in age
or experience that Judge White is, and that
now the public thoroughly understand what
his motives were in Offering such resolutions
But the Georges all the way down never
amounted to much" concluded the speaker.
Mr. Patterson also a member of the commit
tee, made a few remarks. OF George Shiras
Ill, be said that he was a young man. sore
from some defeat, who had let his anger sweep
him into this movement. Continuing, he said:
Judge Whites dominant characteristic is |
his courage. He has administered the law in
this license question with a nerve that few men
would have dared to exhibit 1t required cour-
age to gradually cut down the number of |
saloons in this county, where two cities had
been overrun with saloons"
RESULT PEDIcTED.
Rev. DR.. Jas. Allison, editor of the Presby- |
terion Banner, told of his long intimacy with |
Judge White, extending down from boyhood, |
and then spoke of the Judges activity in all |
Sewickley enterprises. DR.. Allison continued: |
I'VE are glad to see that scarcely anybody |
believes these charges against the Judge. Why, |
the unfortunate young man at Harrisburg who |
made the charges does not believe them him.
self, I'll venture. This is simply intimidation |
intimidation of the bench, which must next |
year pass on the liquor licenses again, both in /
Piutsburg and Philadelphia.
II once knew a boy who went out to shoot |
birds near BakeTstown, when l was child. In /
those days the old style of blunderbusses had |
TO be loaded with whole handful OF powder
and handful of shot. Well, the boy shot at
the bird. The bird was not hurt, but we found l
the boy sprawlng on his back in fence cor
ner. Now, that is the way with this youthful |
shooter down at Harrisburg. He finds himself 1
lying broad on his back. The temperance peo-
pie despise him. The saloonkeepers despise
him, too, for he gave them away. They did
not ask him to do this.
What will be the result of all this? The
Anglo-Saxon race have always had that pecul-
iarfty of strongly wishing to obey the law of
the land. All their revolutions have been con-
stitutional in origin ana purpose That in the
time Of George /. was constitutional SO was
it when William and Mary wrested the govern
ment from James. In our own revolutionary
struggle the Constitution was in view and also
in our late Civil war. Now this will help to
bring about the Constitutional revolution
that of June I8''
The resolutions were then adopted by an up
roarious vote. 1t was unanimous and the meet
ing adjourned.