The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-01-30

Views Of the Individual Who Sen
fenced Labor Leaders to
Penal Servitude.
POWERS OF CONGRESS
INFERIOR TO COURTS
Is Opinion of Judge Who Owes
His Position to Standard Oil
Influence

| WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 2s.-.
Herewith is presented the first inter-
view with Judge Wright since he SEN
fenced the three labor leaders, and by
Gibson Gardner and published in q
recent issue Of the Toledo News-Bee.
L don't suppose it would add to
my popularity at this time to talk
about It," said Justice Wright, "but
I am friend and admirer Of Senator
Foraker. met him when I was judge
OF the court Of common pleas, in
Hamilton county; Ohio. I was ap-
pointed. to my present position on
Senator Foraker's s recommendations"
The meeting which led to the
friendship between Justice Wright
and Senator Foraker was broueh1
about by the fact that Senator For
aker had a case before Judge Wright
In which the decision was in favor OF
the senator's client. The senate,
commended the young Judge for his
strong opinion"
for an interview I told him 7 had
come to talk about the famous opinion
! In the Gompers case.
"Or .infamous?" he replied. smiling
4 judge from the communications
get, and: from some things read. thai
have achieved something more than
fame
After three hours of talk with the
judge, I went away with some clear
Impressions Of the man. Here tnev
are:
Time to Teach 4 Lesson.
Tall. iooth=faced, straight, muscu-
lar, but undertrained, roundheaded
slightly grizzled, welldressed, easy
going, approachable. more like a bust
ness man than lawyer; not a. stu
dent.
The short neck, close mouth, thick
nose and meaty build suggested pug
nacity. Twice during my interview
this suggest tipns Was s,sseEtfs es4. Once
when he said r.. q 4,Vas tinap ,tLe.le
people" tthe organizetf labor unions Of
the country "were taught i lesson
And a second time, when asked II
he would join, in a recommendation tc
the president that Gompers and his
associates be pardoned. There was q
stifen1ng of the muscles as he re-
piled: 81 am not certain that the
court would recognize the right Of the
president to interfere by pardon in
such case. don't care to 40 into
phase Of tho matter that might come
up for review"
The suggestion that the pardonine
power of the chief executive does not
extend to the newly-invented crimes
classed as "contempt of court" was
novel. I wanted to pursue it; but the
judge had very promptly closed that
door; so we struck out for other con-
! versational paths.
Had the judge ever had to work at
manual or physical labor for a. liv-
| ing? No. He was born into the law
For three generations his progenitors
have been lawyers. They had made
and lost money; but none mad ever
followed a trade. His early life was
sheltered one. He went to the
schools of Cincinnati and at Riverside
a suburb Of Cincinnati, where he re-
sided. He went from high school into
| the Cincinnati law school; from the
law school into small political Of
flee at Rtverside; from being solicitor
and mayor Of Riverside he became
judge Of the court Of common pleas
| in Cincinnati.
Then came the day when Senator
Foraker. liked the tenor of his opin-
ions, and he was boosted into his
present life appointment as judge Of
the federal court.
Legal Equality.
Men selected by trust senator 70,
appointment to the federal court ma,
see many things from the point Of
view Of the privileged few. The,
may also voice class spirit. This
judge seemed to me a good example
Of the type. I tried him out in 9
dozen ways. Finally I asked: DC
you think the man with a short purse
has the same chance before our court.
that man with long purse has ?" =.
"Why, yes" said Judge Wright
"The courts are open to ali. II Grim
| inal cases the court will appoin,
counsel for an accused if he has nc
}counsel; and in civil cases it is only
necessary to file an affidavit showing
that the litigant has not money tc
pay costs, and the case goes on with
out payment" E.I
@. - But that ( is theory. How
about actual practice?" ..> 80
Ayes. In actual practice" :.
In my mental note book L entered q
memorandum as follows: ,r.
"Not intellectually honest, or no,
frank" - IS '.''@ AZ ~; ~ +
| A similar kind Of response came tc
my suggestion that the federal judi
ciary had begun to suffer serious
! criticism. -, .... Il. 3&.%..., l. 1
] II never knew Of any judge being
Influenced by improper motives in thu
decision !. Of a ! case said Judge
Wright II never knew a Judge to 81
moved by anything but due sensibil-
ity Of the sacred obligations Of. his Of
flce." n !. &. lis5j# s III: 81
(Another memorandum Of simila,
tpurport In my mental note book.
do you think the judiciary