The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-08-28
OUR VENAL JUDGES.
Capt. Joe Waters Gives the Pass
Taking Judiciary
ANOTHER WELL DESERVED RAKING.


Take Railroad Passes When They
Are Frequently Called on to Decide
Cases Involving Railroad Interests.
Aloud Smelling scandal.
Capt. Joe Waters has been interviewed
at Troy, Kas., BY the editor of the Tri-
bune there. Capt Waters was asked if
be was Populist He said:
mo, sir; am not; am worse than
Populist, I am a Republican whose poll
tics were kittened at the wigwam in
Chicago when Lincoln was nominated,
who has been seven years in the army,
who never held, wanted or asked for
Office and believed in everything heroic
or grand that party has done. l will not
vote for a single candidate on the Repub-
lican ticket this year. am opposed to
the railroads running and owning both
supreme court and the Republican ma
chine in this state. know one man
who dispenses passes for railroad IN
this state, that is the uncrowned king
He has dictated to governors legisla-
lures and the judges OF the supreme
court, and l am only exercising my right
to help give them a black eye this year,
for they deserve it. | am no topper.
LAS do not want Office, can crit1-
else, and here is my criticism There
are now two judges on the supreme
bench, Horton and Johnston, who have
taken and used passes ever since they
have been on the bench, and they hear
and decide cases where these railroads
are one side and a lone widow, or
phans and one-legged brakeman are on
the other. This is a crime It needs
for plain speaking to break this custom
up. The sutton who has case against
railroad would never try it before twelve
jurymen who each had pass in his
pocket and no honest or upright judge
would require it. Nor ought any one to
be handicapped by having the entire
mem bers of the court Of last resort,
all armed with passes, finally determine
his case. Men are human, the railroads
give it under the head of courtesy to the
bench, but 1t is not for health or philan-
thropy. They are intended to be sent
where they Will do the most good A
Judge who has one of these passes in his
pocket dare not under his own name
justify it It is only pardonable so long
as it is not discussed and nothing is said
about it"
sit is the reception of such favors as
these that take our courts away from the
people. that give them leaning towards
Corporations, and has called for loud
voiced protest that has crystalized in the
Populist party. You have got to have
upright men, pure men on the bench or
your government is rotten to the core
and valueless. A pass-taking judge can
no more defend his action than Bacon
could his brides. If you will watch a
judge on a train pull out his pass he
does it with debOnnair demeanor
that a dog possesses when he is
caught killing a sheep in the fold
J ear in and year out the supreme judges
take passes and give decisions in which
these railroads are concerned. Two
hundred cases or more are now pend
ing in the supreme court, many
of them of great Importance in
which the railroads are parties. The
great people who care to investigate the
question can 90 to the decisions of our
supreme court and decide for themselves
what passes in the hands of judges have
to do with decisions. Every time the
Republican party puts up judge Of this
kind l propose to oppose him.
They say all the big judges take
passes. So much the more prevails an
outrage on the people. No man empties
ordure in a fountain to cleanse it. Judge
Johnston ought not to have Republican
vote in Kansas. This is a subject you
will not hear discussed for it is eternally
wrong. And as a Republican 1 propose
to make my protest effective. Am l
right? Where is the man in the state of
Kansas who dare in public speech or I'M
der his own signature take up the cudgel
and say / am wrong"