Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-30
L Dictaforfal Sheep-Lawyer.

ycrsaries and proclaiming his purpose to
make 1t hot for the lawyers; to down the
missionary party; depose Governor Dole'
and have a man of his own selection APP
pointed TO his place. He boosted that he
had the backing of President Roosevelt and
Attorney General Knox in carrying out this
program Of vengeance and upheaVai
The last advices from Honolulu show
that he has promptly entered upon his vim
dictive campaign. His first official act was
the peremptory discharge of the court
stenographer, Daniel H. Case, because of
his incidental connection with the Bar As
ISOLATION charges. His newspaper, the
Honolulu Republican, is filled day by day
with announcements that Governor Doies
official hours are numbered and that he
will have IAN American tcarpet-bagger)
successor.
Now there is no doubt that Humphreys
has the power and the disposition to make
II very unpleasant for the thirty-seVeh
members of the Bar Association who pre-
ferred charges against him; but as re-
cards his claim to have the backing of
President Roosevelt in his raid upon Gov
eruor Dole and the missionary party, The
Star can say that 1t is the fabrication OF
Judge Humphreys fertile brain without
shadow of foundation
The Bar Association OF honolulu Ihdue
the mistake of supposing that a judge ap-
pointed by President Mckinley would be
removed by an Attorney General appointed
by President Mckinley. except on grave
proven charges. much graver than those
made or sustained against Humphreys. The
Attorney General, no doubt, had his own
opinion regarding the fitness of Humphreys,
but he could not recommend his removal
merely because he was bumptious. con-
ceited. yindictive. intolerant and abusive
utwhateyer the Attorney Generals opinion
may have been then 1t is a fair presump-
ton that in view Of Humphreys brazen
effrOntery in claiming the backing of the
President and himself in the vindictire pur
suit by the judge of the Bar Association.
Governor Dole and the missionary party.
he is now convinced that Humphreys is
utterly unfit for judicial position. 1t is well
known that President Mckinley was not
proud of Humphreys or of two or three
others Of his judicial appointments on the
Pacific side. The apology for the APP
pointment of men of the Humphreys stamp
10 judgeships has been that lawyers of abii-
ity and standing will not take the positions
on the plIifutsalaries paid. But this ex-
plantation is not quite satisfactory, for
while the salaries allowed would not secure
the services Of the highest order of legal
ability, they would at least obtain honor
able men of good legal standing and of
fair. equable, judicial temperament. 1t
was especially desirable, in the mixed state
of affairs in Hawaii, that the judges APP
pointed there should be men of this high
character. and it is most unfortunate that
a vain, quarrelsome, vindictive man like
Humphreys should have received the ap-
pointment. How unfit that appointment
was is shown by the fact that in a few
months after this Arizona sheep-Iawyer
took his place on the bench he had antag-
onized almost the entire bar OF Honolulu
body Of lawyers of fine ability and high
character most of them his superiors in
both these essentials.
Humphreys, though a Mississippi product,
is as smart a carpet-bagger as any Yankee
adyenturer of that breed who went south
after the war. How smart he is is set forth
in the story Of his career told boastingly
b. him to the Attorney General and pub
lished afterward in the New York Evening
Post He left Mississippi at the age of
twenty to seek his fortune in Arizona, but
he found there was no business there for
a lawyer of his stamp. except occasion
ally TO defend a Mexican who had been
accused of changing the brand of a steer
or stealing few sheep" So he repacked
his carpet-bag and set out for Honolulu for
a better opening for money making. On
nearing Honolulu with only So in green
backs to meet the requirement that intend
ing settlers must show $50 in money. he
by a smart trick in the way of the green
goods bunco game by placing a wad of
confederate bills he had in his carpet-bag
between the two ten-dollar greenbacks
fooled the inspectors and walked triumph
a shore This viii he cd
is his own story of his adventures There
are other reports to the effect that he fed
from Arizona to escape trial on serious
charges. but doubtless they do injustice TO
the high-toned judge.
Since then the smart Humphreys has pros
pered exceedingly. The young adyenturer
who landed at Honolulu with only So in
money and a carpet-bag full of confederate
bills. and whose sole legal training and ex-
perience had been in the defense OF a few
Mexican sheep stealers. has in half a dozen
years made great fortune by speculations
IN sugar and other smart operations: has
reached judgeship. downed the Bar Asso-
citation of Honolulu and now boasts that
he has the backing of President Roosevelt
and Attorney General Knox in his mission
to upset Governor Dole. designate his sue
cessor. clean out the missionary party and
stands in the way of his dictatorship.
Now as time Is money and as money is
what Humphreys is after. 1t would be ad-
visable for him not 10 spend too many
hours with his ear to the telephone wait
ing for the news that the President has
turned out Governor Dole and is going to
help him down the bar and the missionary
party. He will have to wait a very long
time for that news,-,ime that utilized by
his nimbIe fingers and smart brain would
enable him to add very largely to his pres
ent big fortune. He would be rich enough
to buy a seat In the United States Senate
when the time comes.
Judge. you had better consider this mat
ter. Don't fool with the telephone. Put
money in your purse. Buy a senatorshIp.
OF course so shrewd and daring a poll
tician as Castro would not hesitate to pose
as a reformer.