The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-08
CARRIERS SLUR ON THE COURT
NAMES OF THE JUDGES HE ALLUD-
ED TO DEMANDED.

He Agrees to Furnish Them and Il
He Does So Great Sensation u
Looked FOr-He Refuses to Dis
close Names Until They Are For
maIIy Given to the senate-Senn-
tor Battle the Man Who Demands
the Disclosures.
Atlanta. Ga, Dec 7.-Mr. Battle threw
:, bombshell into the Senate chamber TO-
day by demanding that Senator Carter
the populist leader, furnish the names OF
the judges of the superior court to whom
he referred last week, as being no better
than the criminals whom they sentenced
to the penitentiary. Senator Garter has
agreed TO do so and announced that he
will file his evidence to support his charges
before the close of the present session.
lie will not now, however, give any intim-
alton of the names of the judges to be at
tackled. If he keeps his promise the SEN
sauon will be a great one, though so far
as is known here there is no foundation at
all in fact for the populist senator's sem
sauonal intimation and charges.
Mr.. Battle sprung a sensation by rising
TO a question of personal privilege. Il do
not" he said "wish to make personal al
lusions, but l desire to call the atten-
ton of the senators to the accounts of
last Thursdays debate on the Hopkins
bill to make superior court judges and
solicitors elective by the people, in which
Senator Carter is quoted as saying: There
are superior court judges of the state of
Georgia who are worse than many of he
cuprits whom they have sentenced TO the
chain-gang. Let not the senator call on
me for names, lest 1 give them This
remark has been construed by many
being direct challenge to me that possi-
bly, it might impugn the honesty and ju-
dicial uprightness of the judge of my own
circuit.
Il was not present during the entire
speech of the senator from the Thirty
seventh Carter, and did not hear him
make any such charge as he is attributed
with uttering, If | had said Senator Bat
tie vehementy, Il would have demanded
then and there that the senator specify
by name the judge or judges to whom he
referred"
Senator Carter was on his feet in an in
slant, and said that he did not throw
down the gauntlet to Senator Battle or
any specified senator. but that he made
the charges in open Senate and said Let
not senators call on me less 1 give
names"
Senator Turner tried to pour Oil on the
troubled waters by raising a point of or
der that no senator could be called to &C
count for language used in open Senate
Senator Battle interrupted with warmth
and finally Senator Carter rose and said
1T is very delicate matter, but the Sen
ate has a right to demand of me these
names, and l am ready 10 give them when
served with the proper notice by the Sen
ate"
Later the following resolutions were Of
fered and passed:
Whereas, heretofore, to-wit on the
I'd day of December, while the bill of SEN
ator Hopkins, seeking to so amend the
constitution as to require the election of
judges and solicitors general by the peo-
pie, was under discussion, Senator Car
ter, from the Thirty-first district, in dis
eussing the bill, said, in substance, as fol-
lows: Some of the men who have been
elected to the Office of judges of
the superior court are a disgrace
TO the public, and did also say in
substance as follows: There are men on
the bench to-day who are worse than the
convicts whom they have sentenced to the
penitentiary, and let not senators call on
me for names less give them
And, whereas, on the 18th day of Deem
Der, Senator Carter of the Thirty-first dis
trict, in explaining what he said before the
Senate on Dec. 2, in substance reiterated
the charges above made, and stated that
he would, if called upon in the proper man.
ner, furnish the name or names of the
parties or judges he had reference to.
And, whereas, such charges are a Sc
rious reflection upon the judiciary of the
state and causes a suspicion to arise as to
the integrity of each judge of the superior
courts in the state.
And, whereas, the state cannot afford
70 have corrupt judges administering the
laws of the state, but such judges should
be intelligent and honest and free from
suspicion of corruption
And, whereas, it is the sense of this
Senate that the charges hereinbefore made
should be fully investigated, therefore,
be it
Resolved That Senator Carter be and
is hereby requested to furnish to this body
in writing the names of the judges whom
he has charged with corruption, and such
evidence as he may have to sustain such
charges, so that the Senate may take such
action in the premises as it may in its wis
dom, deem proper and just"
Before the adoption of the resolution
Senator Carter made another speech, in
which he evidently wanted to dodge Il
should think" he said that the resolu-
ton ought to provide for the appoint