Arizona republican., 1901-11-12

| and enthusiasm of THE free people. yet it can
 CASE OF be said to the credit of
 JUDGE the citizens of Arizona ! STREET and to the men who hold federal positions,
 that only a very small percentage of | its citizens express dissatisfaction at
 the men who administer it's affairs. Every state and territory has its quota | of faultfinders.
 Eighteen years ago the legislature of this territory created a county court
 for Cochise county, and Webster Street.
 then a young man, was chosen as
 judge. His decisions while in that po-
 sition attracted the attention of the
 best legal minds of the territory. and
 he was regarded as one of the ablest
 men on the Arizona bench, and re- tired from his high office with honor | and credit. The bar and the people wanted to see Judge Street on the
 supreme bench of the territory, and
 when President Mckinley appointed | his as chief justice it was at once pro- ] claimed one of the most fitting and worthy appointments ever made in | Arizona. This office he has held for
 nearly four years. The district over
 which he presides is the largest in the territory.
 | Suits involving mines. canals. water
 rights and other intricate and far
 reaching subjects are submitted for his judicial determination. To say i that he could satisfy all parties to 1 such contests would be clothing him
 with more than human power. But it must be said to his credit that not withstanding the multifarious duties he ' is called upon to perform, and the
 enormous interests involved in such suits at law, his decisions have been
 uniformly regarded as just and equit- | able and few. if any. have ever been
 reversed by the higher courts.
 The term of Judge Street Is drawing l to close. We know not whether he i desires a reappointment or not. We 1 know that charges have been lodged against him at Washington, but we wish to say in justice to the people of | Arizona that no occupant of the bench | has been nearer to the hearts of
 great majority of our citizens than is
 Judge Street. and were the chief | justiceship an elective office. no man
 would make a better race before the
 people.
 One of the peculiar features of this
 case is it's recent origin. His reputa-
 tion for years upon years was affirm | atively good, both as a lawyer and a | oil h i,,If al
 he has had reputation of being a most | exemplary judge. and was highly com | mended by lawyers and litigants. The
 people evinced a just pride in the in-
 tegrity and ability of the courts of the territory until they began to hear that
 lawyers were not trustworthy. and in
 nuendoes against the judiciary of Ari- i zona began to be circulated Men ! who had been unsuccessful before the
 courts were told in whispers that jus
 tice had been denied them, and every
 method known to the affidavit maker
 was brought into play. The charges
 were to be made to an appointing
 power thousands of miles away, and
 not to be tried by the people. All this
 was coincident with the announced
 ambitions of others to obtain the place.
 But to this day if there is a specific charge the people of Arizona do not know what 1t is.
 We have no excuses to offer for the | judicial conduct of Judge Street-it
 needs none: his twenty years of ser vice to the republican party of Arizona.
 and his sturdy character as a citizen.
 a lawyer. and a judge, needs no de- <. fense at our hands.
 ! A good character is the dearest heri- | tage that man can transmit tc his l children; a life of well doing ought
 not to be blackened by innuendo or | falsehoods. Reputation and character are too precious to be sullied by slan-
 der. It is easy to pull down that which required years of patient effort to build up. So We say to President Roosevelt,
 who is noted for his fearless honesty, I to make a thorough investigation of 1 the charges against Judge Street be- fore the brand of dishonesty is per 1 mitted to be placed upon his judicial acts. Such an investigation would put a stop to slanderous assertions and
 malignant inuendoes, and if carried into the enemies country. would expose the selfish motives of the detractors. Judge Street and his friends are waiting trustfully for clear acquittal