The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-03-25
COY. ROBERTS ACCUSED.
JUDGE LIGHT, OF FAIRFIELD,
 MAKES CHARGES.

Declares the Chief Executive is Paying
 Political Debts with Judicial Ap-
 poIntments Failed of ReappOint-
 ment Himself.
 South Norwalk, March 24.-A letter written by Judge John H, Light, of the Fairfield common pleas court to Gov ernor Roberts on March IS, relative to report current at that time that he was to be retired from the bench, was made public to-day. In the letter Judge Light said that in response to numerous inquiries as to the causes or his retirement, he had answered that the governor had not made known his reasons. "-t
 Continuing tine letter says: 'tIt may not make much difference to me wheth- CT am retired or not, but it may make a great difference to the independence of the judiciary and lead one to ask whether or not judicial offices belong to you to bestow as a favor to friend or to give as 8 payment for political services, irrespective of the wishes of the public. You will call to mind that nearly all the members of the bench and the bar of Fairfield county have heartily endorsed me for reap poirftment, and a very representative committee waited upon you on Dehalt of the petitioners and urged my appoint ment, and their efforts were followed and supplemented by nearly all of the republican senators and representatives from this county, and by leading mem bers of the bar and public men from different parts of the state, and yet, according to rumor, you propose to tell all of these gentlemen and fellow cit izens, that their wishes do not count for anything under this administration, and that your election vested in you the right to fill all judicial and other or fees as you see fit, free from all claims of individuals and the publie.e s
 You will remember that I called on you month ago to talk over my re- appointment, and that you told me there was no other candidate for the judgeship and that you knew of no op- position, but that you did not mean to send in any more appointments imme- diateIy. and that I need not think 1t strange if my name was not sent in at. once. I am informed that even before this conversation you offered my jul dicial place to another, who was urg- ing you to appoint me, saying you had letter in your pocket that l had writ ten during the campaign for the gu- bernatorial nomination in favor of Judge Cleaveland, and that you did not owe me anything. now request you ito publish that letter and state where in it applies to you directly or indi- rectly, and that you let the public know whether or not you should use appointments to Judicial offices for the purpose of paying men to whom you are indebted.
 aDid you not mean what you so well expressed about the independence of the judiciary n3your message? Let me call your attention to two of your sentences: Anything that in any way. detracts from the independence of, or respect for, our judges, should be ob- viated if possible. I recommend such legislation as shall place upon the ex- eoutive the responsibility of nominat- ing all judges of the police, city, town and borough courts, as is now done in the case of the judges of the superior court. courts of common pleas and dis trict courts. Ar
 Surely you write like a statesman, but I am fearful that your actions will not tally with your words. I have for years agreed with the sentiment of your message, and in 1901 I assited in plac- ing, by law, thecommon pleas judges on the same footing with the superior court judges, so far as nominations are concerned, and the purpose of the law was to remove the appointment of our common pleas judges from political in flaIence and make them Independent.
 If that law had not been passed there would now be no question about my appointment, so you are likely to furnish a concrete example of the danger of placing too much power 1n the hands of the governor to use to promote his political fortunes"
 Tn conclusion Judge Light said that he had heard that the governor was expected to nominate State. Treasurer Walsh, and added: Aside from the impropriety of appointing one of the state executive officers to judicial po- sition, it is strange for you to nomin.
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