The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-21
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE.
HOW CORPORATIONS CONTROL THE JU-
dietary.

The testimony of Mr.. M. L. Lockwood
before the Industrial Commission has
created quite breeze in New York. 1t
will be recalled that Mr.. Lockwood testi-
fled that Judge Haight's nomination as
Supreme Court Judge of New York was
brought about by the Standard Oil Trust
because he quashed certain indictments
against several oil magnates. and their
tools. growing out of the Matthews ease.
He testified further that Judge Haight' 5
election was aided by large corruption
fund put ND by the Standard Oil Trust.
Referring to the denials of his charges,
Mr.. Haight says:
81 believe implicitly every word | ut
tered. My contention is that the great
corporations of this country, particular
" the Standard Oh Company and the
railroads. have devised a system of re-
wards whereby the lawyers and jurists
who sympatll;ze with them are promoted
and advanced in Il material way.
THE Matthews case was a striking
example of the power of the Standard
Old Company in the courts. 1t appeale j
to every right-minded man as one of the
most outrageous perversions of justice
that ever occurred.
AFTER Matthews, who fought the case
persistently and doggedly, got verdict
for damages in his civil cases. to the
amount ofsoyer a quarter of a million.
he secured the indictment of some Of
the trust magnates and their tools on a
criminal charge of conspiracy. the pnr-
pose of which was to blow up Matthews
refinery and ruin his business.
'.The indictments Were quashed by
Judge Haight. / don't mean to say that
Judge Haight received money for his
judicial action. / do not believe he could
be paid money to do anything he believ-
ed to be wrong, but in my judgment his
ambitions were appealed to, and he did
what he thought was the respectable
thing. the proper thing to do.
HE undoubtedly assumed that such Il
great corporation as the Standard Oil
Company could not be despicable enough
to be guilty of a crime charged against
its managers. On the occasion in ques-
ton the court room was filled with the
greatest lawyers in the country, all APP
pearing for the Standard Oil Company
That demonstration i'm itself was enough
to impress any judge.
The atmosphere with which Judge
Haight was surrounded was of such a
character that he forgot law and JUS
tice. in my opinion, and did what the
legal brains of his entire surroundings
seemed to assume that he should do.
And right here is where / want to
call attention to the fact that the cor
pOratiOns-the Standard Oil Company
and railroads neutrality-suspicious.
just such actions. They see to it that
men who will yield to influence are
properly promoted and are advanced.
In my judgment Mr.. Haight was put
upon the Court of Appeals of New York
through the influence of the Standard
Oil Company and the great corporate in
terests of that State. He allowed the
great influence of these corporations to
overshadOw and dominate him, and these
great Influences are anxious to have such
men on the bench.'
Whether Mr.. Haight was influenced
by the Standard Oil Trust or not, Mr..
Lockwood is everlastingly right in say
anxious to have such men on the BENCH
and they get them. The Federal bench
is packed with them and i'm some of the
States no lawyer may hope to go on the
bench unless he is subservient to the
trusts and great corporations. They do
not buy such lawyers-oh, no.-they con-
frr h.
power, and where they hold sway 'law-
yers and judges who smypathize with
them are promoted and advanced an Il
material way"
Not long ago a prominent public man,
referring to this prostitution of the jul
dietary, i'll private conversation, said:
1T is a public scandal that the judi
ciary is largely named by wealthy cor
poratiOns that have much litigation. Ii
has corrupted many ambitious lawyers
and silenced more. / know an able law
yer in North Carolina who had judicial
aspirations. Upon question that came
up while he was in the Legislature, HI
saw powerful railroad corporations put
forth every effort in its favor. He was
at heart opposed to it, but he knew thai
if he voted against it they would use
every influence to prevent his evelation II
the bench. He first sought to dodge and
when he could not do that he voted
against his convictions. The people
knew little about the struggle, he hat
the support of the railroads for a place
on the. bench. obtained it, and made q
good judge. But he told me that it tool
away most of the honor when he reflect