The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-05
THE JUDGE AND THE STOCK WATER
ERS.

The action of the Marion County Bar As
sociation in regard to the expressions of
Judge Baker relating to certain street-rail-
way magnates living in a distant State who
have smothered less than So, 0Q0, coo worth of
value with 50, 100000 of capitalization de-
serves the severest condemnation which the
McKee-Verner coterie can express or en-
ploy experts in the use Of explosives 10 ex-
press. Judge Baker is a very o~ld-fashioned
sort of man. His mind is so constructed
that he cannot see the difference in the
quality of the offense between the man who
sells a bogus note and a corporation which
puts upon the market several million dol
lars of stock which represents no value.
The judge has not reconciled himself to
the fact that a large number of fortunes
have Oeen made by such transactions. Old
fashioned prejudices have such influence
with him that it does not make such meth
DDS of obtaining money any less an outra-
geous crime should it be given to enlighten
the heather in |benighted lands or to edu-
cate those who shall stand upon the walls
of Zion TO proclaim the truth. In an I'M
guarded hour, when the old-fashioned soul
Of Judge Baker was stored with indigna-
tion, he suggested the lamp post with a
hempen connection for the punishment of
those who defraud the innocent by selling
them worthless stocks.
Very naturally, the foreign magnates,
when they heard of the remark of Judge
Baker, were highly incensed. Very natur-
ally they were certain that such a man was
a 6iSpraca RI tho Horob ,~J -~uuo..z a.
opinion that he should be impeached. or, to
use the language one of the magnates is
reported to have used, kicked off the
bench" But as he is of the class spoken
OF IN connection with lamp posts and ropes
his heat is excusable. Whether the affair
got before the Marion County Bar Asso-
citation at the suggestion of the friends of
the foreign dictators who control the street
railways, claim to own the streets and like
i~nconsequentiaI things, is not known. 1t
Is not impossible that the remark of one
of the company fixed attention upon the
words of Judge Baker. AT any rate, the
bar association has considered the matter.
1t has made. an explanation in behalf of
Judge Baker and has been so considerable as
10 observe that his remarks will not inter-
fere with the administration of Justice in
the courts by him.
In this matter Judge Baker, a justly es-
teemed citizen of Indiana and a fearless
Judge, is very little considered, except
through the excuse that he did not mean
what he said. But the association. or a
majority of it, was very considerate of the
men who foated SO, 900, 900 of the evidences
OF Indebtedness upon less than So. 900, 900 of
actual value. When it was proposed to de-
nounce stock jobbing as the crime that
II has come to be, when it is proposed TO
ROB the people who patronize the street
railways in order to pay dividends on vapor
stock, a number of lawyers denounced the
idea, and by a small majority the proposi-
ton was voted down.
Ii these gentlemen who think that s1,cb
namby-pambyism will soothe the McKee,
werner people they are mistaken. They de-
mand that Judge Baker be kicked off the
Dehch, and will be in high dudgeon when
they learn that a resolution to that effect
was not adopted by the lawyers in their
province of Indiana.