St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-10-14
COURT EVIDENCE OPEN TO
SGRIITINX

Judge Hicks, of the district court of
Minneapolis, made ruling IN the
course of the trial of the Morse forgery
case on Thursday that is worthy or the
highest commentator. Certain men,
oranda bearing upon the case at issue
were presented, and counsel asked that
they be withheld from the press. Judge
Hicks promptly responded that the
court had no power to withhold from
the public what becomes the record of
the court, and, upon being further
urged, said that the newspapers have the
right to use whatever of these records
they may see fit unless it is matter of
public policy to withhold them, when
the court might use it's power, ~
1t is seldom that any one has Ques-
toned the right of the newspapers to
make legitimate use of the public rec
ords. The courts are public offices, and
their proceedings are of great public
concern. They are the final resort of
the people tor the redress of wrongs
and the punishment of crime. If their
proceedings may be kept secret at the
option of the attorneys or judges, there
is danger that they may become corrupt
and deSpotic; that decisions may be
reached that are unwarranted by the
evidence submitted and inimlcal to the
public interests. Time was when the
courts were merely the engines EN-
ployed by despots to enforce their CON-
mands. Justice was not their purpose /:
the rights of the common people were
the least of their concerns. In our own
time courts have been corrupt. They have
been employed by INSCRIPTIONS political
rings to further their schemes of plum
der. The courts of New York city dur
ing the reign OF the Tweed gang were
venal to the last degree, and the Occu-
pants OF the bench an organized band
of public plunderers. Other courts
have been organized for the turtnerance
of the schemes of political adventures.
The Infamous carpetbag governments
of the Southern states could not have
existed but for the more infamous ju-
dicial officers who upheld them. And
the only means by which the bench has
been purgeu of its Barnards and Du-
rells has been through the public senti-
ment that was aroused by the press ex-
posures of the abuses of power of which
the judges had been guilty.
lmpartiality and honesty are fortu-
nately characteristics of vast majority
Of our judicial officers at the present
day. But under our existing political
system, which frequently elevates to
the bench men who are incompetent by
reason 0f mnprfaat lonaI
prejudiced because of partisan affiia-
tions, there is danger that the courts
may be made the instruments of injus-
tlce and wrong, unless restraint is i'm
posed upon them. And 10 restraint is
more effectual than the daily scrutiny
of their proceedings by the great major
ity of intelligent citizens, scrutiny
means of reports of the doings of the
courts in the columns of the public press.
Judge Hicks did right in refusing to
permit the suppression of evidence SUBJ
mitted in the case referred to. The
issues involved concern large number
OF citizens who could not be present in
court to watch the progress of the case
and see that their interests were prop
erly protected and represented. These
have to depend upon the reports of pro-
ceedings which are found in the col
umns of the press. and they have right
to demand that all facts bearing upon
the litigation be given to the press with
view to their enlightenment. There
will be no star chamber inquiries before
Judge Hicks.