The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-11-12
The Supreme Court.

Retrenchment was the battle-cry in the
late state canvass. One practical meas
ure of retrenchment is embodied in bills
now before the legislature for reducing
the number and the salary of the SUI
preme court Judges. Leaving the ques-
ton of salary in allegiance, how stands
the other question, the number of judges
that shall constitute the supreme bench?
We realize the fact that the judgeship,
in any of its phases, is delicate one
for discussion by laymen, but it is one
about which the judges themselves do
not seen to be delicate. For obvious
reasons, the lawyers themselves do not
discuss with freedom matters personal
to the body before which they appear
as advocates. Freedom and independ-
ence in handling the subject seem to be
relegated to the press, watchful guar
dams of the public veal.
The Office of judge is one of high
honor, dignity and social distinction.
The judges, it will be generally admitted,
are well paid for their services, even
if they should give the state their en-
tire time. They owe the people some
thing in return. How do they repay
their obligation? Do they give the
time and the service, promptly and etli
GENTLY rendered, for which they are
paid? In certain conspicuous instances
they do not. Official duty waits on pri-
vate interest, and the judges appear to
be as greedy as other men for the best
places in the management of business
affairs, and particularly money interests
of great value. Take, for example the
case of our worthy Judge Ross. To.
day he is
% A director of the First National
Bank of St. Johnsbury, whose capital
is S5OOOO0.
(2) A director in the corporation of
E. e. T. Fairbanks & Co., capital, 81
500 900.
(3) a director in the Carrick Brothers
Granite Company, capital, $50 900.
(4) A trustee under Sir Thaddeus
Fairbanks will, very large estate.
90 An executor of l.. p. Polands
will, also large estate.
His Honor Judge Powers is
Q) A director in the Merchants Ma
tional Bank of st. Johnsbury, capital,
$500, 900.
(2) Executor of A. f. Judevine's es-
tate, valued at some 5000 900, trust
which, it is reported, consumed one
hundred days of his time during the
last year
Judge Tyler, too, we are credibly in
formed, handles large estate as trus-
tee, and receives good salary there
from. Chief Judge Royce, it is well
known, has had large outside interests,
and is currently understood to be the
corporate interests. Very likely, in
quiry would develop the fact that other
! judges devote time to, and receive large
emoluments from, corporate director
ships or private stewardships. The du-
ties of Judge seem to be subordinated
to the duties of trustee, director, exec
utor or administrator, to the injury of
the quality of their work and the detri-
ment of the interests of suitors Cases
that involve fine distinctions, careful
and patient study, are, as we have rea-
son to believe, often decided without
such study. Instead of prompt decis-
ions, cases are often held six months, a
year, and sometimes two years. And
now these delays, these lapses from
public duty for private gain, are made
pretext for continuing the unnecessary
expense of the additional judge foisted
upon the state twenty years ago-how
and why, Judge Barrett has recently
explained The legislature will be false
to its duty if it neglects to apply re
trenchment and reform here. SiS
Judges, sound of body and mind, with
honesty and singleness of purpose, la
boring even less arduously than the
average business or professional man
it is plain, can easily do the work of The
bench; and if the salary of judges shall
be set back to $4,000, the court will
thereby lose nothing in quality OF
prestige.
There is another (and very import
anti view of this matter of the CONVEX
sion of the judicial time-paid for by
the state-to private interests. How
would these judges act in case where
interests in which one of their associates
held a dictatorship, or trusteeship, came
before the court? Or in case some un
fortunate investment should be made b,
one of their associates while acting a
trustee, guardian or executor? Hon
eslly, no doubt, but, being themselve
in the same boat, and being human, i
10 nossihla a g. fallow faahngD woul,