The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-01-16
AGAINST JUDGE RICKS.
House Judiciary Committee to Ro-
port Favoring Impeachment
THE RESOLUTION TO Be REPORTED
On Friday-liopcs EntcEtaincd That
the Decision VIII 10 Reversod-Tho
Conimittoo's Action Created n DO.
ctdcd surpriso-rho Days Proceed
ings In tho House aud Somntc-Thc
q Income Tax Discussion In ho Senate.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. l5.-Con.
gross was givon decided surprise to.
day BY tho house committee on the
judiciary, which decided by vote OF
TO to report resolution for tho i'm.
peachmcnt OF Judge Augustus ]. Kicks,
ot Cleveland, for muIisasanco In office.
Not for many years has u United States
Judge been called before tho bar Of tho
senate to defend his right TO wear tho
crmlnc OF office against criminal charges,
and only three or four timcs In tho his.
tory of tho government has an impeach.
ment trial OF member OF the federal
Judiciary been conducted.
Few members hud looked into the
charges preferred by the Central Labor
Union OF Cleveland, the accuser Of
Judge Kicks, thnt while sitting on the
bench he paid himself fees which he
claimed he had previously earned as
clerk OF the court, aud to which il 10
now asserted he was not entitled. Tho
number OF years which have ella psed
since the transaction, and tho conten.
tion OF the judges friends that the pro.
ceedlngs were inspired by ruling
preiudicial to the interests OF labor
unions which he made recently, tended
10 lessen the interest which originally
would have been taken in the case.
Now that the judiciary committee has
deemed the matter OF sufficient gravity
to warrant impeachment it has become
suddenl y IL decided sensation.
The house judiciary committee to.
day decided TO report a resolution for
the impeachment OF Judge Kicks, OF
Cleveland. The vote wa., for, Z;
against. 6.
The vote was nearly on party lines,
but ono Republican voting ior i'm.
parchment and one Democrat against it.
On Friday Mr.. Bailey will present a
majority report and Mr.. Broderick q
minority report
The supporters OF Judge Kicks enter.
tain hopes that the decision will be re.
versed. Four menhers were absent to-
day. and at Fridays meeting there will
be an attempt made TO adopt the minor.
ity report.
The resolution will be reported to the
house Friday as privileged business,
taking precedence over everything ose.
II the house adopts it the managers on
the part OF the house will bs appointed
10 notify tho senate OF the action and
instituie the proceedings:
The friends OF Judge Kicks declare
that there are large possibilities that the
impeachment will not be undertaken.
They depend upon members who were
absent from tho stormy committee
meeting to-day to join with them Friday
in voting 10 substitute minority re.
port for tho one which Mr.. Bailey will
prepare and which will be a strong ar
raignment oil the judge ii couched in the
tenor ol his speeches to-day. There il
doubt OF the parliamentary possibility
OF such stroke, but tho short tims re.
naming to the Congress inspired the
belief that the case will 90 over TO the
next Congress. In that event, the i'm.
peachmcnt probably will not DO under.
taken, Ms the division to-day was prac-
tically on party lines, with tho Rcpub.
licaus supporting Judge Kicks.
The function OF the house is that OF {
grand jury in such cases. 1t decide,
whether sufficient cause is shown tc
justify a trial. and appoints manager:
who act as prosecuting attorneys.
The senators sit in tho capacity O
judges or jurors with the chief justice o
the supreme court presiding. The senate
has nothing to say about whether al
impeachment is to be conducted, but Il
it does not see fit to finish this trial be
fore the fourth OF March. all the pro
cceiings taken will be void.