The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-05-01
JUDGES DON'T SERVE
PEOPLE SAYS JUR|ST
Judge Palmieri of Brooklyn Tells
Audience About Judicial
Impartiality.

BROOKLYN, April 29.-Ex-Judge
Palmieri delivered a highly interest
ing lecture to a large audience at
Harris hall, Gates avenue and Broad
way, Brooklyn, last Sunday afternoon.
His subject was "The Evolution of
the Criminal Law; It's Modern Abuses
and inequalities" He started in by
explaining the origin of the old laws
among the early Romans ancient He
brews and Creeks The speaker then
traced the progress Of English law,
mentioning the many humane ways
ing a man for three minutes, then
cutting him down and gently Sitting
open what to our modern aldermen is
the most important part of the body,
the LOCATION of the stomach, and then,
by way of an admonition and while
the man was still alive, proceed to
make mince-meat of his limbs. Some
one in the audience whispered loudly,
'We do that today with. our electro
cutions." '>'' -
Teaching the Criminal:
Judge Palmiert gave Specific in
stances on record of the various Eng
lish methods Of teaching the criminal
to be good. OF course, the rich and
powerful at that time were also above
the law-even as they ARE today.
There is a record Of a .nobleman
whose ears were Topped off for debt,
and for a repetition of the offense
the execptioner chopped oft the ear
stubs and part Of the face: The same
offense by an ordinary individual was
entitled to removal Of his legs or
arms, but no choice was permitted.
Coming down to modern times, Mr..
Palmieri said that in this state up 10
the year 1860 the defendant was never
permitted to go on the stand in his
own behalf; his accuser being the only
witness examined. The treatment Of
criminals these days is becoming more
scientific, and the parole system has
been proven to be a. particularly ef-
ficient one.
improvements Suggested,
AS an improvement in our judicial
system he cited the laws enacted
against trusts, such as against illegal
present day who were formerly cor
poration lawyers cannot be impartial.
Our judges are not put upon the bench
by any competitive examinations as is
done in Europe. A man who is a
friend of the boss or has the money
can buy his judgeship, and there Is a
certain place on 14th street, New York,
where auction sales of court benches
take place.
Judges don't Serve the People.
We find very few judges today who
have served the people. On the SUI
preme court of Brooklyn there sit
judges who were formerly legal rep
resentatives Of the Long Island Rail
road. They mad been brought up amidst
wealth and always lived in an atmos-
phere of corporations. They have had
one way of thinking all their lives
and do not and never did live among
the people, and unconsciously they
! will interpret the laws in accordance
| with their environment, no matter how
Impartial they think they are.
Injustice in Brooklyn.
Judge Palmieri then cited specific
| case of injustice in Brooklyn, naming
| the judge and litigants, and wound
| up his lecture by saying he would
| answer any questions put to him. A
man got up and defended the Justice
(Kelleyi whom the speaker referred tt
in the case mentioned in his lecture
Mr.. Palmieri stated that he did moi
doubt the judges sincerity, but il
proved his point that a man who al
ways lived in corporations atmos
phere could not parcel out Justice i'm
partially. ~
! A Socialist, J. We'll, praised thu
speaker for showing up the corrup
ton in our courts--something which
the Socialists always knew existed
but what was the learned gentle.
mans remedy?. Laws against: trust
have accomplished nothing, and can
not. AS to getting competent men OF
, the bench, why, the men, on the bencl
now are etentto misinterpre
the laws-eles the bosses would neve
have put them there. The only wa!
out Of it/aH seems to be to set mel
elected by the common people, and tn
only party that properly and sctenti
lfically. rs a party OF Ahe people. Is .,, tn
i Socialist party. 4. s#:.s.ss
Next week the chairnlan q announced