The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-13
EXCITING DERATE
IN LOWER HOUSE
Impeachment of Federal JUDGE
Swayne Brought Up.
DEFENDED BY LITTLEFIELD
MAINE MAN CALLED A LIAR BY
Mr.. LAMAR.

EEF ASHINGTON, Jan. 12.-The arti.
| w cles OF impeachment upon which
Judge Charles Swayne Of the
northern district Of Florida viii ba
! tried by the senate "for high crimes
and Uisdemeanors in office wera
! brought up in the house today immedi-
ately after that body convened.
AR Palmer Of Pennsylvania, chair
/ man of the committee OF seven ap-
I pointed by the speaker to prepare the
/ case against Judge SWayne. explained
/ that the majority Of the committee had
reached their conclusions after most
| painstaking elaboration. and il re-
manned for the house itself to take such
/ further action in the case As il might
! deem proper.
Chairman Palmer's Speech.
Mr.. Palmer. defined what constituted
| impeachabIe offenses and said a judge
| could be impeached for any misbehav-
/ ior.
Mr.. Palmer evoked loud applause
I when ne declared his intention to in
/ trOdUce a bill TO give every man pun
ished for contempt the right to appeal
/ TO some higher court
/ Judge Swayne's court. he said. was
/ reekinS with bankruptcies, scandals
and suicides, and he did not believe the
/ Judge had a friend in the district
! Mr.. Palmer vehemently declared that
the statements that other judges than
Swayne had charged SO a day for sx-
penses was a SANDER on the Judiciary
Of the United States There is not
he said, "a syllable Of testimony in
this record or anywhere on earth that
any judge ever did this thing but
Judge Swayne-
Littlefield Tor the Defense.
Mr. LittIefeId OF lame said he felt
l / n &c drrrv 10 civ 1a 1,a&
the record showed and that It did not
show. He then analysed The evidence
in the case in all its phases and said
that none of the majority Of fhe-corn-
nittee except the subcommittee had
read the report when they voted for
impea chment.
Turning his attention to Mr.. Lamar
Of Florida, who filed the original
! charges. Mr.. Littlefield called upon him
to admit or deny an alleged interview
published in the Metropolis Of Jack
sonville. Fla, reprinted from the At
lanta Constitution on March %. 1904
which Mr.. Littlefield said did violence
| to Mr.. Lamar's reputation. RIr. Lit
tlefield quoted from the interview in
which Mr.. Lamar is alleged to have
said that the people of Florida had
stood Judge Swayne just about as lOna
as they could and that he was going to
tell congress that II some action was
not taken TO relieve the people of Flor
/ ida Judge Swayne's life would be in
danger.
What Lamar Said.
Mr.. Lamar said that any language
I impUting to him the statement thai
! Judge SwayneS life was in danger was
absolutely incorrect. but he said that
f the proceedings in the house terni-
mated in nothing it would be because
the house did not understand the con
GitiOns in Florida: that ne looked upon
Judge Swayne as utterly corrupt and
utterly tyrannical. and the most law.
less man in the state Of Florida
Mr. Lamar declared that he stated in
! the interview, that If nothing ap-
pealed TO Judge Swayne, neither law
nor humanity, in his own IaWIess ca
reer, then I would point out to him the
fact that his arbitrary and tyranRicaI
action might result in some i'll ordered
brain or some revengefUl brain that
suffered at his hands iH1icting violence
upon him"
Exciting Debate.
The most intense interest was exl4fb-
tied in this phase of the debate. and
! members leaned forward to catch every
word
Mr.. LittIeaeld said it grfeved him
profoundly that a member Of the house
had preached Indictment TO assassina-
( ton and murder
7 deny any suggestion of violence to
Judge Swayne." exclaimed Mr.. Lamar.
who further said that the fact that
( he has remained in my state so long
secure in his lawless career is evidence
/ of that"
! Mr. Lamar declared that while he did
/ not think Mr.. LittIeheId Intentionally
/ charged him with melting murder. Mr..
/ Littletield certainly had almost blindIv
/ Inexperienced what really was said
Denounced as a Lie.
] If, said Mr.. Lamar, anyone used hts
| language in the interview to iupt1te
that suggested violence 10 Judge
| Swayne he would denounce it as a u3s-
] liCious falsehOod.
The gentleman's Pronunciation dis
/ turbs nobody" replied Mr.. IittleneId.
/ who added, that unfortunately for mr.
Lamar, the ordinary citizen of the
! United States would so construe II
/ and it is for that reason the IanEuaps
/ does great violence TO the characfer of
the distinguished gentleman from FIo--
/ ida
The Shacldeford resolution authoriz-
! ing the COMMITTEES on interstate com
\ merce to investigate the Panama rail
| way company was passed, after which
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