Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-06
THE JUDICIARr AND PASSES.

When the judicial salary bill was be
fore the national house of representa-
tives an amendment was offered pro
viding that it should be unlawful for
any Of the judges of United States
courts to accept or receive any gifts,
free transportation, or frank from any
corporation or person engaged in operat-
ing any railroad, steamboat line, ex-
press or telegraph company. 1t was re-
jected, partly because it was held not
to be germane to the bill and in part
for the reason, as urged by the chair
man of the judiciary committee, that
its adoption. would cast an imputation
upon the federal judiciary.
There was no objection TO the prin-
ciple embodied In the amendment. No
member of congress, 1t is safe to say,
would have ventured TO oppose 1t on
this ground. The principle is sound
and applies not only to the judiciary,
federal and state, but as well to men,
bers of congress and legislatures and
all other public officials. The accept
ance by men In the public service of
railroad passes and other favors from
corporations should everywhere be made
unlawful. 1t is a potent means of in
fluencing officials in the interest of the
corporations which has done great harm
and is likely to be still more harmful in
the future If permitted to continue 1t
is an insidiOus method of corrupting
those in public life that is dangerous
to the general welfare. 1t places Of
ficials who accept such favors under
an obligation to the giver that no one
in the service Of the people should sub
ject himself to. The legislator who
does this compromises his freedom as
himself in the way to become an in
strument of the corporation whose pass
or other gift he carries. In case of a
conflict of interests between the people
and the corporation he is quite as likely
to disregard his duty to the former as
to ignore his obligation to the latter, of
which the corporation never fails to
keep him mindful.
1t is especially important that the
judiciary should be entirely free from
the influence which the acceptance of
gifts from corporations carries. "No
man can serve two masters" The
judges of our courts, federal and state,
should have no obligation that might
induce them to swerve from the straight
path of duty or in the slightest degree
influence their judgment. A pure,
honest, upright and incorruptibIe judi.
ciary is the very bulwark of our institu-
tions. 1t is indispensable to the main
tenance of the rights and the liberties
of the people, the perpetuation of popu.
lar government and the preservation of
the principles upon which it is founded
At this time, when the already vast
power of the corporations is being stead.
lily augmented and Ihey are exerting a
tremendous influence in all directions
where 1t is necessary for the conserva.
ton and extension of their power, 1t is
of the first Importance that the judiciary
shall be kept free from any obligation
to them. Judicial service should be ade.
quately compensated and congress did
well in increasing the salaries of federal
judges. We can see no sound reason
why there should not be a law for
bidding the acceptance of gifts by the
judiciary and certainly such law would
not be objected to by any judge so
licitous for the integrity and freedom
of the courts.