Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-11-15
Secret Orders Of The Federal
Courts.
METROPOLITAN PRESS PADLOCEED.
Corrupt Control Of Pacific Rail.
road iieceIvershIps.

The announcement 10 the tele-
graphic columns yesterday that Uolted
states Judge Gilbert Al Portland has
rendered decision In regard TO a
receiveship of the Northern Pacific
railroad, which was not made public
and the purport Of which was known
only to few, and could net be learned
except sufreptltiously, forces an es-
teemed contemporary TO ask the ques-
tlon: BY what right In this nation OF
Republican principles does any officer,
judicial, adml nlstratlve or executive,
presume TO hold his official acts rs
matters Of personal privilege with him
self, to be made public or withheld as
may suit his will or fancy?
"What good interest can besubserved
by making a public act q star chamber
proceeding for the enlightenment,
gain, pleasure or benefit of u privileged
few, TO the exclusion Of the general
public from its enjoyment or criticism
as the case may be?
"Is there not too much of this In the
ofiicialIsm Of today, born Of self.as.
sumed Importance and dictatorship by
those In power, who fancy for the
time that they are the masters and
that the common herd are only to be
used as "doormats" and other agencies
Of advancement and comfort?
ais It not this exclusiyeness that
breeds distrust among the people, de-
stroys their confidence In official hon.
esty, kills their respect for authority
and fosters a spirit of socialism and
anarchy?
"The Statesman believes that court
erred In rendering decision which 1t
was compelled to withhold from the
public. The dvvIuiOn should not have
been uttered until the time was ripe for
1t and then all ought TO have had an
equal opportunity at 1t.
"The Statesman believes all public
business ought to be conducted upon
the same principles, whether city,
county, state or national. A public
Office ought TO be house Of clear glass,
hguratlvely speaking, so that the pub
lie gaze could exercise itself at will,
and board or an officer doing busl-
ness In the name OF a commonwealth
and clothed with authority deriyed
from the people, drawing salary from
the peoples money, has no right to
close its doors In the face Of the public
and transact business behind them, nor
to close its records from public examin.
alton.
"When there is less secrecy in doing
public business and In investigating 1t
by boards and committees, there will be
more universal official honesty; there
will be fewer scandals and defalcations;
there will be more of public conf
dence, and there will be less enrich
ment of the few at the expense Of the
many aud from the earnings of the
multitude"
We are glad to quote the above ring
ing words from the Salem Statsman.
Long may II live to utter such senti-
ments, in an age when the press and
pulpit, the public officials and people
of influence are bought and sllenced
with railroad passes aud the favors Of
the rich and powers that he. The
press In the big cities is nothing but
the hlreling of the plutocratic comoi-
nation betweeu the political machine
bosses and the plundering corporations.
A union of robbsrs and oppressors, and
the federal courts will, unless they get
honest, return 10 virtue and and
repent, become stencil In the nos
trils of the nation.
The whole struggle OF the political
bosses has been, aud still Is, TO make
senators aud presidents who would In
turn appoint dummy federal judges to
do the bidding of polilicalI bosses like
Simon, Dolph, Snow, Cotton, ct al,
and horde Of the same class In every
state in the union, and n bigger horde