The Farmington times and herald. (Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.) 1902-1905, 1903-08-06

Supreme Court Judges Marshall,
Robinson, Burgess aud Fox were the
four judges that were so terribly SIAN
lcred by the Wnrrcnsburg editor that
they fined him $500 for dating ~ crit
irilc such immaculate gentlemen AS
they are. We gods and liltl" fishes!
Democrat News.
regret exceedingly that the Til
bunc editor is doomed to disappoint-
mrnt IN his forecast uf "hcnrlr APP
proya from all the press Of the Stale'
with the ''riug' exceptions h. notes;
tor every paprr, with one exception,
that has come under my csc. since
the courts decision. is riuk N dis
approval. --lronton Register.
We have always had an abiding |
faith in our judiciary; thi, decision,
| however, has done more to shake that
faith than anything which ever hap
poncd We certainly do believe in
the freedom Of the press and do not
believe that under the intent and splr'
It 0i the constitution these men were
guilty Of any crimc.-Scort County
Democrat
We believe there is n custom which
prevails in the older countries that
when the policy pursued by = cabinet
or congress Is criticised by the press
aud people, that the mcmbers resign
aud stand iot re. election 10 see If The
voters indorsG their acts. Would II
not hc good idea for the judges Of
9 the Missouri supreme Court % thy
thal?-Ncw Madrid Southeast Mis-
sourian.
Another Cole County Grand jury
will take hitch at the lobbyists aud
bOodlcrs. next week Here will he II
chance for Judge CAN'T: Lo, him
my off hi, Judicial crminc aud assist
in ierrrling out the crooks. II hr
does half n well A. has MIR Folk, he
can consider himself in the race lor
: Governor But he won't win il h
, remain. Il member of the body that
sits rs accu~cr, trial court, jury and
, cNecuiuner in the case OF cdiior'
guilty Of high crimes. llunklin Dem.
ocrat
Whenever a public officer, who j.
nothing but hired servant uf the PEG.
! pie, considers his official acts aboy,
criticism. he is unworthy to hold nm,
a, Office. Yet we find them dragging
men up before them to be punishc,
by imprisonment or fine for daring IL
crlic,c their official acts. They ar,
the parties against whom the allegcc
ntfru.c was committed, aud vet they
sat rs judges both to iN the degree
oi the oifcnse aud to assess the pun.
t,hmcnt The idea is monslrou,
" one in thi, country where we boast I"
r. the freedom OF speech and at Tho
p press. --,Jack-on Cash Book.
! The Missouri supreme Court hold,
that it is above criticism, and wc hcal
it argued thai even though they b.
wrong they should not be criticized
because they form an integral part Of
the State government, and Ia do 81
would tend to destroy the government.
Yet, when court rcrcrscs itself IN
such remarkable manner rs IN the
OgleSby case, for which Editors Shcp-
| ,,uYI ,nl tN,,lifI Eunl fn
= tempt for criticism of the decision
r by the court, il is too much To ask of
those interested, through acquaintance
with the parties, that they should for.
; bear the expression of their opinion Of
T. the courts action Jefferson Demo.
crat
. JEFFERSON once said that If The
!, libettic, Of the American people vert
ever destroyed it would be through
courts, and the late action of The
Missouri supreme Court in timing two
editors seems to be an echo Of fulfill.
4 mcnt of the prophecy. The court
{ which is the creature of the consiitu
ton, arrogates 10 itself The right o
determining what the constitution may
CT may not provide. The creature has
! absorbed the crcatur--surcly an un.
democratic aul illogical mode of pro.
cedure Where will the matter stopF
1t seems, To thinking men, that there
Is building up IN free America an oil.
garchy more deadly than that oi
J ancient Venice and more fnr-rcaching
b than that of Rome, Poplar Bluff
Citizen
, The Supreme Court has delayed
giving, in cXlenSo, It's reasons for yir-
tually putting ban on Tree speech,
but the jefferson City Tribune, which
is supposed to be in close touch with
the powers that be, explains the scope
aud purpose of the decision, aud
makes it appear fur more restrictive
than seemed Ut first view. If we are
to accept the rribunc's Interpretation
of the decision, the Supreme Court
will be elevated TO a plane where it
will rank but little below the deity
It j, contrary to the spirit Of Amer
lean citizenship to place the people in
an attitude of ahject srrviliry in the
presence of our courts The line
between contempt and criminal libel
ought to be SO clearly drawn that
there could be no mistake about it,
Glasgow Missourian
But we believe the court made a
serious mistake in citing these editors
to appear before them on contempt
proceedings. The right Of free speech
is regarded rs very sacred By our
people, and the right of trial by an
unprejudiced jury of our peers an
Inalienablc right Of citizenship. No
body or tribunal, however organized,
! should be above criticism, and to