Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-20
THE ALDRIGH CHARGES
REGENERATION or JUDGE KOHL
sAAr FOLLOWS INQUIRY.
Report and Verdict Of MI. Robb In
dorsed by the President and the
Attorney General.

Secretary Loeb made public at the White
House today the correspondence In the
charges against Judge Christian c. Kohl
saat of Chicago. who was on Saturday pro-
NOTED from United States district to circuit
Judge. In transmitting the nomination to
the Senate the President sent the follow
ing note to Senator Platt chairman of the
judiciary committee:
MY dear Senator Plat:
II transmit herewith the nominations Of
certain judges for Illinois. Charges were
made against Judge Kohlsaat. whom rec
ommend for promotion to the position of
circuit judge. forward herewith copy Of
the charges, of Judge Kohlsaats answer
and of the report of Assistant Attorney
General Robb who was at once sent to Chi
cago to investigate the charges and to re-
port on the qualifications and recommends
tions of all the candidates. I also inclose
the letter of the Attorney General to me ac-
companying these papers. I agree with the
conclusions of this letter. Sincerely yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
MI. Robb's Inquiry.
The charges against Judge Kohlsaat
were contained in a protest signed by
Charles H. Aldrich, formerly solicitor gen.
Chicago bar. The allegations were to the
effect that Judge Kohlsaat had violated
the law in appointing his private secretary
a receiver of a corporation; that he had
appointed his own son his private secre-
tary; that he had assigned to another
private secretary various offices and duties
for which allowances were paid by the
litigants; that he had shown favoritism;
that he had appointed his brother-in-law
an appraiser in bankruptcy and that he
had made an improper appointment of
master in chancery.
Mr.. Robb talked with leading members of
the Chicago bar and they all expressed
themselves in the highest terms of Judge
Kohlsatts integrity. All agreed that he
had earned promotion by his industry. Mr..
RObb says:
Having carefully considered the charges
against Judge Kohisaat and his answer
thereto, and having talked with men of
the highest standing at the Chicago bar,
| have no hesitancy In saying that I be-
lieve Judge kohlsatt to be an honest man,
and that the insinuations contained in
the charges are not sustained by the facts"
The Attorney Generals View.
Attorney General Moody says that
Judge Kolsaats appointment of his
private secretaries to positions as receiv-
ers in cases pending in court was Illegal.
it is cleared that Judge Kohlsaat con-
strued the law otherwise and did 1t in
good faith. He does not think that Judge
Kohlsaat should be condemned on &C
count of his construction of a doubtful
provision of law. Judge KohlSaatS ap-
pointment of his son as private secretary
was innocent and proper according to
previous decision of the controller of the
treasury. His appointment of his brother
in-law came within the prohibition of
the law. but the Attorney General thinks
that it was eXcuSable. The chancery APP
pointment was not illegal, the only OBJ
lection apparently being the youth of the
appointee. The Attorney General says,
in closing:
1.-The almost universal tenor of the testi-
mony of the leading members of the Chi
cago bar indicates that Judge KohlSatt has
shown in the performance of his duties
qualities of sterling integrity, imparuality
between parties and counsel and untring
industry. He came to his Office as district
judge without experience in the federal law
yet has disposed of a vast amount of BUSH
ness to the satisfaction of itigants and. OF
the bar. He has proved SO useful in the Of
flee of district judge that fair question
might be raised as to, the ACCESSIBILITY of
promoting him to an untried position But
the charges made against him make 1t i'm
possible to deny him the promotion which
you have under consideration, without the
appearance of condemning him for much
more serious charges than are made against
him. 1t is the almost universal testimony
of the bar that under the circumstances as
they exist, the refusal to promote Judge
Kohlsaat to the circuit bench would i'm
pair If not destroy, his usefulness as a dis
trict judge. In this view 1 concur and
therefore respectfully advise you that the
appointment of Judge Kohlsaat as circuit
judge is fit and desirable to be made"