The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-03-10
SOUTHERN PRESS
ON JUDGE SWAYNE
Royal ROasts for the CRlprit Judge
and the Foxy SonAts.

North and South, but the hepuDncan
newspapers appear to have maintained
a discreet If not significant silence on
the subject.
The New York World editorially re-
marks as follows: Judge Swayne was
impeached for high crimes and misde-
meanors, but the Senate seems to have
voted on the question of his politics.
1t is extraordinary that the evidence
should have convinced all the Demo-
Gratis that Swayne was guilty and nearly
all the Republicans that he was not
guilty. Judging from the vote, some
thirty-odd Senators wished to convict
Swayne of being Republican and about
fifty Senators wished to acquit him of
being a Democrat. To state that this
cleavage along party lines was unfortu-
nate is to state the case mildly"
The World also sums up the result in
the following schedule Of vital preced-
ents which It claims have been estab-
lished by the Senate's verdict:
l. That federal judge is licensed to
accept q private car from a railroad
placed in his charge by the appointment
of a receiver and ride everywhere with
out cost to himself.
2. That such official may charge the
government $40 a day for expenses, re-
CARELESS of what his actual expenses
Nmay have been.
y 8. That his place of residence is mat
ter of his own choice, despite the statute
directing that federal judge must live
in his district.
4. That a federal judge may punish
his political opponents, If he can contine
his operations to proceedings in con-
eefnpt.
The Atlanta Constitution says: "1'he
Swayne case has been decided, but It
viii be some time before the odor has
subsidized
The Louisville Evening Post says:
1.-THE verdict in the Swayne impeach-
ment case is not guilty, with a strong
hi 1t that he mustn't do it again."
The Savannah News mildly comments
as follows: at may be that because so
MANY Judges do what Judge Swayne
was charged with doing in the matter
of expenses that the Senate refused to
hold him guilty. And it may be that
because so many high officials go on
iunketing trips at the expense of the
railroads that it decided the accused
wasn't so very culpable for using the
private car Of corporation that was in
the hands of a receiver and was in q
position to request favors from him.
of course it would be hardly just to say
that Judge Swayne's usefulness as the
Judge of the district court of the north
ern district of Florida is at an end, but
il is certain that the majority of the
people of that district haven't kindly
feeling for him, and would be glad II
the government would give him a job
elsewhere. He may resign but there
isn't much probability that he will
That there was a political feeling III
the decision there isn't any doubt. A
glance at the way the Senators OF the
two parties voted shows that.
The Brunswick Journal quite agrees
with the Atlanta Journal that the &C
ouittal of Judge Swayne by the Repub-
lcals of the United States Senate, is
ne putting of distinct seal OF APP
prevail on official graft. We also think
Z grants full letters of marque and re-
tndiciary. bloated with the arrogance of
jife-tenure, and feeling the safety of
;udicial immunity from any possible de-
tense of rebuke by the people"
1T. The r suHS AS as foo ES?uTsTFh THAT s tSe
iot Of the carpet-bagger Is not always
rlsasant In shown in the experience Of
Sndpe Swayne Of Florida, whose inn
neachment trial was ended yesterday
bv a decision in the Judges favor.
Going from the North and carrying with
him the rabid partisanship which char
acterises the less conservative OF the
Republican holders, Judge Swayne
shoIIld not have been surprised that his
airs and his methods did not accord with
the sentiment of the southerners. 1t Is
nresun,ed that he was too arbitrary, too
indepSndent to please the southern idea
If WhSt should constitute just judge.
Very naturally, the vote in the Senate
Yesterday was along strictly party lines,
and the result is not at all surprising.
The strongest lesson TO be drawn from
the Swayne case IL the unwisdom Of
giving q judgship appointment as q re-
lard for political services. There
Ebould be no partisanship on the bench.
4 n presence only lowers the dignity Of
The gown /
Il 3 quite significant Of the sentiment
,sevailinQ IN Congress on the subject I
ts,ef in a few hours sitter the verdict |
80 rendered Mr.. Plat, Of Connecticut,
r,oxed amendments 70 the SundTy civil |
aDurOpfia4ion bill, which were promptly |
eeeeDfed, restricting the expense bills
"a federal judge TO reasonable sxpen-