Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-02-01

rs TO CritciSin2 Judges.
Our opponents have recently been
bitterly crtticising the two judges re-
ferred to in the accompany communi-
cations from the standard oil COM
pany and the Santa Fc railroad for
having imposed heavy fines on these
two corporations; and yet these same
critics of these two judges exhaust
themselves in denouucing the most re-
spectful and cautious discussion of the
official action of a judge which re-
suits in immunity to wealthy and pow
erful wrongdoers or which renders
nugatory temperate effort to better
conditions of life and work among
those Of our fellow countrymen whose
need is the greatest.
Most certainly it behooves us all to
treat with the utmost respect the high
office of Judge; and our judges, as
a whole. are brave and upright men.
Respect for the law must go hand
in hand with respect for the judges;
and, as a whole, it is true now as in
the past that the judges stand i'm char
acter and service above all other men
among their fellow-seryants OF the
public There is all the greater need
that the few who fail in this great
office, who fan below this high stand
ard of integrity, of wisdom, of sympa-
thetc understanding and of courage,
should have their eyes opened to the
needs of their countrymen A judge
who on the bench either truckles to
the mob and Shrnks from sternly re-
pressing violence and disorder or
bows down before a corporations who
fails to stand up valanty ror the
rights Of property on the one hand, or
on the other by misuse of the process
Of Injunction or by his attitude toward
all measures for the betterment of the
conditions of labor, makes the wage
worker feel with bitterness that the
courts are hostile to him; or who fails
to realize that all public servants i'm
their several stations must strive to
stop the abuses of the criminal rich
such a man performs an even worse
service to the body polite than the
legislator or executive who goes
wrong The judge who does his fun
duty well stands higher and renders
a better service TO the people, than
any other public servant; he is entitled
to greater respect; and if he is a true
servant Of the people, if he is upright
wise and fearless, he will unhesitat-
ingly disregard even the wishes of the
people if they conflict with the eternal
principles of right as against wrong.
He must serve the people; but he
must serve his own conscience first
All honor to such a judge; and all
honor can not be rendered him if il
is rendered equally to his brethren
who fan immeasurably below the high
ideals for which he stands. Untruth-
full criticism is wicked at all times,
and whoever may be the object; but it
is a peculiarly fragrant iniquity when
q judge is the object. No man should
lightly criticise Judge no man
should, even in his own mind con-
denim a judge unless he is sure of the
facts. If a judge is assailed for stand
ing against popular folly, and above
all for standing against mob violence,
all honorable men should rally in
stantly to his support. Nevertheless
if he clearly fails to do his duty by
the public in dealing with laWbreall-
ing corporations. laWbreaking men Of
wealth, he must expect to feel the
weight Of public opinion; and this is
but right for except in extreme cases
this is the only way in which he can
be reached at all. No servant of thu
people has d right to expect to be
free from just and honest criticism.
The opponents of the measures We