The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-20
JUDGE ADAMS SPEECH
HE DENOUNCES TIE WHITE So
pREMACY ARGUMENTS.
THE LEGISLATURE DEFENDED BY HIM
His Charge a Sweeping ViIifcaton and One
That Cannot be Properly Characterized
in Temperate Language.
columbus NeWs.)

The August term of the Superior
court convened in the court house here
Monday morning at II o'clock, Ill"
Honor Judge Spencer Il. Adams arriY-
inc on the morning train from the south.
Solicitor Seawcll was present repre-
senting the State. Mr.. ScwaIl is now
the nominee of the Populist and RcpubIl-
can parties for judge of this district.
Ills Uonors charge to the jury, we
will do him the justice TO say, was the
best bcing the only political speech
we ever heard delivered from the bench.
We have been reporting court proceed
ipgs here for about six years, ana Ill
that time . number of Judges have been
here whose political affiliations differed
from ours. but we have had no occasion
to refer to any of them in uncOmplimcn-
tary terms. We regret the necessity for
doing so now. But when man clothed
with the judicial crmino takes advantage
of position on the bench to abuse ana
to yillify as good people rs there are III
the State. and to mix his partisan ram
cor with his instructions Of the law. we
think it our duty as Il faithful chronicler
of events. to publish the fact.
The first point of his political speech
was to pay his respects to folks who
"wcrc going up and down the country
abusing people about the way they cast
their ballots" This came under the
head of ''intimidatng voters" and was
evidently intended for the Democratic
speakers who are now canvaSSing the
State. as neither of the other political
parties have begun their canvass yet.
His second political point was in the
nature of Il defense of the last Lcgisla-
turc saying that if it had done nothing
else but pass the law in regard to en-
bczZlcmcnt by public officers, administrl-
tors. executors. etc. which he was then
it cost TO the State.
lie reached the climax, however, when
he came to discuss fornication and
adultery. He said that nine times out
of ten if you will chase down the fellows
who are going about trying 10 stir up
race prejudice You will find them sleep
ing with 4 negro woman When we
consider that numbers Of as good people
as therc~arc in the State are going
about stirring up race prejudice" rs he
would doubtless call it, his statement
becomes a most sweeping villification.
and one which cannot be properly char
actcrizcd in temperate language. And
he said this with kind of Il remember
tho-Mainc" expression on his counte
nance which seemed to Indicate his re-
greet that there was not law by which
Democratic speakers and papers could
be stopped from telling the people f>the
foothod which negro supremacy had OBJ
tanned under the present administration.
And This was not AL. Proceeding
to the question of rape, he argued to the
jury that it was n lesser offcnsc than
seduction because the only difference
was, he said. that one was committed
by force and the other by fraud. It
required some courage for the former
He illustrated his position by saying he
had rather his purse was stolen by
highwayman than by deception. We
may not be surprised that assaults upon
white women by brutcs-thc lowest
crime III the eyes of the law as well $ of
men 20 which it is possible for human
dcpravity to dcsccnd-arc SO alarlnigly
on the increase when Il Judge on the
bench attempts to minimize it's heinous-
ness and argues to Il grand jury that it
is less crime than one for which the
most extreme penalty is Il term in the
penitcntiary.
We are Informed that Judge Adams
never practiccd law, and that he was
clerk Of the court of Cuswcll county
when he was called into our "non-par-
tisan judiciary"
His honor received just few days ago
from the Republicans of his district Il
for the the position he now
holds, and this was, perhaps. his open
ing campaign speech.