The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-05-06
JUDGE JENKINS AGAIN.

Tho congressional committee appointed
10 investigate the injunction ORDERS OF
Judge jenkins, which made so much sur
last summer. has made its report ana IL
finds nothing in the case 10 warrant
congressional action in the matter
That Congress has right TO invesu-
gate the judicial action Of any United
States Judge is perfectly clear IL
limited States Judge permits his official
conduct to be in any way whatever con-
trolled by corrupt or other impro' er IN
Auences. he makes himself liable to I'M
neacbment and removal from Office and
.ba Iousa Of Representatives is the body
charged by the Constitution with the
dutv of prosecuting him before the SEN
ate which is the court appointed by the
same instrument to hear his cause and
decide on his fate. If, therefore, there
he'd been reason TO believe that Judge
tenkins' course In the premises was die
tated by corrupt or other improper mo-
uves This investigation would have been
q perfectly proper proceeding. We never
heard this charge made. however, anu
we have. therefore, always looked upon
the Investigation as nothing more than
a weak concession to demagogic clamor.
We say this Notwithstanding the fact
that at the time Judge Jenkins made MS
orders we criticised them and con-
demned them as strongly as we could
But our condemnation went - the char
acter of the orders and not TO the charac-
fer of the judge. We conceived them
10 be wholly out Of harmony with the
spirlt and purposes Of our laws and
;,st,tutions. But If this were true the
way to have such wrong as they did re-
dressed was TO appeal from them TO
higher court and have them reversed End
set aside
IT would only be making matters worse
10 go about the land bowling that a
Judge was corrupt scoundreI, merely
because he took a wrong view Of the
law.
In the orders complained OF Judge Jen-
kins denied the right OF employees TO
break their contracts and quit work when
1t suited them to do so. and he undertook
~ forbid them TO do it by the Injunction
OF a court of equity. We pointed out at
the time that the distinguishing charac-
,eristic between the laws of slavish Rome
and those Of her Germanic conquerors
was the principle that by the laws Of
Rome men could be required 10 specincai-
~ perform whatever they had under
taken TO do. but by the institutions of
those wild men of the German forests all
men were free in everything to
break their contracts at their pleasure, un-
der the penalty Of paying such damages
as twelve of their neighbors might de-
termine under all the facts and circum-
stances Of the case to be justly due.
This priceless privilege our Anglo-Saxon
ancestors freely shed their blood to re-
tain, and, God be praised, 1t has descend
ed to us, in common with ali their de-
as the most precious portion Of our heri-
tage and patrimony. Whilst. therefore.
our laws recognize II as the right of
every citizen TO refuse TO perform his
contract il he pleases, upon compensating
the other side In such measure as twelve
jurors of the vicinage may determine on.
we run no risk Of losing our liberties.
| When the greed OF gain has eaten down
into the vitals of our people deeply
enough TO cause them jealousy no longer
of invasions OF this precious right our
free institutions viii truly be in peril, and
we shall all become the subservient slaves
Of tyranny in the form OF an industrial
and money civilization.
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STATESMAN FENCE.
When Populist Lafe Pence was exhibit
ing himself In Cre Washington court a.