The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-01-23
A Judicial Outrage.

If there is an honest man left in the re-
publican party OF Indiana, the scandalous
performance OF Judge WooDs, of the fed
eral court, Tuesdry must cause him to
hang his head in humiliation and shame.
The spectacle OF Judge deliberately and
unblushingly prostituting his office to the
service of notorious scoundrel in jeop-
ardy OF the law is painful and shocking
one under any form of government and in
any stage OF civilization. But it is more
painful and more shocking in this repub-
lie, perhaps. than in any other country on
the earth; because in our scheme of gov
ernment the judiciary occupies higher
position, fills larger field, is clothed with
greater authority and is regarded by the
people with more respect and reverence
than under any other government.
1t is nothing less than public calamity
that any American judge-and especially
one filling so high post in the judicial
service as WILLIAM A. WooDs-should do
any act that would tend to weaken the
popular respect for the bench, upon which,
in the opinion of the wisest publicists of
this country and Europe, the safety of our
institutions so largely depends 1t was
such an act that WILLIAM A. WooDs COM
nnitted Tuesday, under circumstances
which preclude the possibility of putting
an innocent construction upon it, and
which present him to the world in the
character of an ally of criminals, a de-
fender Of crime and wanton and wicked
perverter of the instrumentalities of JUS
tice to the service of knaves and villains.
We prin: elsewhere a very full
history OF the conspiracy to save
a notorious malefactor from pun
ishment for his misdeeds which
eliminated Tuesday in an infamous de-
hverance from the bench. The name of
this malefactor is WILLIAM WADE DUDLEY,
and mis- crime was the composition and
circulation Of letter giving detailed in
structions for the debauchment of the
electors of the state of Indiana. The pub
LEGATION OF this damnable letter shocked
the moral sense of the country, and
evoked a loud demand for the summary
punishment OF the author. The proof OF
Hao PiOthPbAI buPplACu ny the
confession Of the guilty man himself; and
when. in due course, the federal grand
jury for the district of Indiana assembled
In this city, honest men everywhere
looked TO that body with confidence
for such action, and that speedily, as the
law and the facts warranted. Fortunately,
the law was ample to cover DUDLEY's Of
Tense. 1t made the aiding, abetting, advis-
ing and counseling OF bribery felony I;
and Judge WooDs, as in duty bound, so in
structed the grand jury. In his charge he
said, among other things of like import:
''The latter clause of the section makes
"any one guilty who counsels bribery .
"s This clause makes II an ofe1se for
"ang one to GdCise another to attempt TO COM
"ait any of the ofenses named [among
"them is the buying of yotesl
Sin this section. 50 that while
sit is not crime to make the attempt,
at is a crime 10 ddUiSe another 10 make the
"Gttsmpt If A attempts to bride B, that
els no offense under this statute; but If A
advises 3 to attempt to bride G, then the
'one loto coBsmends or gives this advice IS an
defender under this laW; AND WILL SAY
"THAT THERE is SOME WISDOM IN THIS PRO-
'vIsIoN."
The law cited. under this construction