Omaha daily bee., 1900-01-07
rnE p1SSlNG ID LrDHE Scnrr

Cial interests of the United states can
hardly he overcstimated.
THE PASSING OF JUDGE SCOTT
4 Judges mind should he uucloudcd
by prejudice and unrutllcd by passion
Blackstone.
Measured by the standard set up by
the great commentator Cunningham Il.
Scott was by natural bent the least tit
to hold the scales of Justice of any man
who has ever filled a judicial position in
this state. With Il raSping temper
that touched the border line of insanity
ana the most intense likes and dislikos,
Judge Scott has been for eight years Il
terror to the bar, a tyrant to the public
and n scandal to the bench.
The passing of Judge Scott forcibly
illustrates the fiCklcncsS of popularity
and the gullibility of our voting popula-
tion. When this man made his advent
into Omaha about ten years ago he
Sportcd the title of colonel. although he
had no other army record than the
signing of an enlistment roll in an Iowa
volunteer company and staying at home
throughout the entire war because the
commission.
BY posing as an anti-mOnopolist and
projecting himself To the front rs a
leader in an ~anti-Catholic organization
he managed to secure Il nomination and
election for judge. His elevation to
thn hnDsh snInn1,t,l, ,,,,,,,J III, load
developed his Unborn passion for no
toriety at any cost and gave fun scope
to his irreprcssible demagogy. His ec-
centric antics on the bench soon pre-
cipitatcd Il revolt among the attorneys
that came near terminating his judicial
career. The Intervention of prominent
attorneys saved the irascible judge and
tempered his course for IL brief period.
Then followed II career of judicial an
archy and outlawry unhcard of in the
annals of American courts. With Il
reckless disregard of all law and all
precedent the Nebraska Jcffries kept
the community in constant turmoil by
drastic contempt proceedings that called
for Intervention by the supreme court
and usurped executive functions by par
dOning self-cOnfessed felons who had
managed to gain his favor. During
his occupancy of the criminal bench
his self-styled friend of the pOor i'm
posed the most outrageous sentences
upon poor men charged with larceny
while he set scot free fOrgerS, Swindlers
and burglars, who after pleading guilty
| promised TO do so no more.
BY far the most heartless piece of
judicial tyranny of which this man was
guilty was the Incarceration of w. s.
Raker, the editor of n small weekly
published at Gretna, Sarpy county.
Having dragged this man before his
court and bulldozed the jury into re-
turning a verdict of guilty of libel he
was not content to put the stigma of
felony upon this victim of malicious
prosecution, but refused to liberate him
from the jail on good bond, although
assured that the prisoners wife was
dying and a family of small children
were waiting for their father at her
deathbed.
~ 'iiuliltlult ali lllt instances OF
h~igh-handed lawlessness on the part Of
this judge would be an amending task.
One or two citations will suffice.
During the term of Sheriff DreXel
hat officer was ordered by this para
gon of morality and justice TO AXE pos
session Of more thar ii dozen build
ings in the prescribed district occupied
as houses of ill-fame and to collect the
rental from the inmates for the benefit
of parties who held chattel mortgages
on the furniture. This order was
strictly enforced and for three months
his court, with the sheriff acting as its
agent, was the custodian, keeper AMI
collector of rents for brothels-all in the
name of the law. Such an Infamous
II dlSgraccful spectacle was never
witnessed in any American community.
And yet this tenderloin judge pretended
to be Mortified over the Midway muse
ment features of the TransmiSsissippi
Exposition. In that connection it is
suggestive to recall the blaSphemOus
h~arangues that were delivered day
after day from the bench TO the man
ayers of that exposition for contempt
of his malodOrouS court.
With all these facts fresh in their
minds over 1000 voters in this district
recorded themselves in favor of retain
ing Cunningham II. Scott on the bench.
The question has been asked why
The Bee did not recall the record and
career of Scott TO the voters before the
last election. TO this we will say that
1t was impelled to take this course in
order to ascertain by practical test to
what extent human credulity could 20.
believing Of course all the time that
there was no danger of Scott's re
election.
a CREDITABLE EXHIBIT
The exhibit made by George Helm