The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-27
The Press and
Judge Pritchard.

Judge Prltchard
There are several features of the
ca Sc which promise To make 1t inter-
cstlf1g. Not the least or these perhaps,
IS tile personnel Of the Federal Judge.
lie 10 mountnincer, from that section
of the State which was iilled with
Union men during tho Civil War. Some
OF these joined thelNredcral army In
East las Y rnessec but most OF them were
run TO earth by conscript officers under
the administration Of Governor Vance,
and did excellent service iii the Con-
federate army. although they met
everywhere the contempt ,,of the VOL
unteer troops OF the state. The Con-
fed fed element in the state has never
to the state authority during the
stress Of war, and In turn they have
never forgiven the state 'fors.the de-
tsaI11,I !. and successful efforts OF
nent has largely died out, no doubt
but It still exists amonghtilo older
citizens, who on both sldasHare. per-
maps, rs her bitter as eyer yer thieyWSere
make the cases interestingts the Jeal-
ousy Of the state and It's people OF the
encroachment of the Federal au thority,
and determination to combat such
encroachment at every point. II the
State courts maintain a firm stand they
will aundouh tedly have the population
In solid phalnnx behind them, and
ready to form posse comitatus even
In n similar situation In Reconstruc-
ton days. with the state dotted with
armed forces. when the sheriff ofatllls
same county Of Wake announced that
l. T n n YoNfI ~ YNNu ~ ,(r,k t1.rr
military authority Of Recons truction
Governor Holden, special trains were
run from all parts Of the State n''ea
with armed men anxious to b sum
ment,of factories throughout. tho State
may have changed the Character of ,le
population, but II the opposing courts
stand firm. the situation IS apr to prove
very interesting one.
3 1t Is a serious question Il, u, mr..
sWered, lndeed-thnt OF The authority
OF one court to enjoin the br,;lr:nR
Ct a suit In another court. Should
order. the matter will undoubtedly be
brought to the attention Of Congress.
and 1t Is not improbable thai the Ken
rescntntives from the Tarneel state
against him. - Times -Democrnt, New
Orleans.
Judge Prltchnrd'a Standing.
No one. especially at this distance.
is not a competent jurst; and 1T is not
our purpose to criticse at this time his
recent injunctions, lnterferences with
the processes Of the North Carolina
courts and judicial decisions concern
Ing the State railroad rate law. There
are, however, local conditi0ns to which
1t is worth while to call attention.
Judge Pritchard has been on the
bench only four years, and his actual
legal practice had been very meagre.
He is fifty years old, but he was not
admitted to the North Carolina bar
until he was thirty, and thereafter. ne
than a jurist.. In 1894 the Republicans
Populist fusion swept him into The
United States Senate. along with Mar.
ion Butler. and he stayed In the Senata
until. in 1903. President Roosevelt. at
him OIL the Supreme Court OF the Die
trict OF Columbia. and then upon the
Federal bench. 1t was manifestly ono
OF the Presidents questionable political
recipients party and personal services
to the administration. Mr.. Pritchard
was not a lawyer Of high standing.
and never had been considered ouch
5caBorn In the East Tennessee .n,olin I
tains, the future Judge had Very scarit
educational opportunities, and in his
earlier manhood, after his removal to
ployed in country newspap per Office.
For some years prior to 1887 he was
joint editor and proprietor OF the
Roam Mountain Republican. In connec-
leader Of the Republicans Of the Com
monwealth. These facts are mentioned
not In the least because they! are to
Judge Pritchard's discredit, but be-
cause they show that his early prepar-
alton for the Federal bench was as
Inadequate as 1t was belated. and was
later on interrupted by political actlv-
tiles and membership OF the Federal
Senate.
The North Carolina view OF Judge
siderations. however, known there as
walton to the bench by the President,
he is$naturally regarded as biased by
iprerogatives and rights of the States
when any Issue arises which brings
them into possible conflict with FED
eral powers and jurisdiction. M.
with Tennessee or North Carolina IN
the days OF the Civil War, when the
question of State sovereignty In Us IS
hundred battlehelds. His political ca
ireer fnally, after years OF fighting
against the Democratic domination In
the Commonwealth: culminated so lar
1
and sympathy with his well known
dlsdain for State rights theories that
he Is now regarded as one OF those
i"Roosevelt judges" who are alleged to
be, the creatures Of the Federal Ex &C.
Roosevelt ideas and policies.
this 9ieW Of ouass ba pritehf aha
/ utmost likelihood that 1t is held byi the
Governor Of North and ! most Of tn ths
State The Baltimore Sun. very good
representative of the sentiment Of th9,
ipart OF the South, expresses It's grave
distrust OF Judges like Pritchard whom
lit classes among the so=called "Roose-
'Iyelt judi ciary.' Es,
that these appointees have been, n
l the main, lawyers OF pre-em!nent abil.
'sity or men OF the highest standing ir
.ltheir own States?"
Il All that need be said. before leaving
4 the subject. Is that while Judge Pritch,
! ard Is manifestly not great Judge
land nav be even biased Judge. hf
is undoubtedly an upright Judge, ant
II can be trusted to decide Issues In &C.