The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1909-07-15
SUPREME COURT
OF THIS STATE
UNOER FIRE
Continued from Page OneJ


Continued from Page One.)
under a cloud of suspicion, is in
nocent of wrong intent as well as
of wrongdoing, it should be speed
lily proven. 1t is bad enough to
know that the state officials have
been derelict in their duty to the
people. A corrupt judiciary is in
finitely worse because its power
for evil is so much greater.
We print below two articles
printed almost simultaneously,
dealing with different phases but
both bearing on the subject. of
the supreme court. One is taken
from leading daily paper of
the West and the other from a
weekly periodical of wide circu-
lation in the East. Our readers
will find them interesting.
THE SUPREME COURT INNES-
TIGATlON.
Seattle STAR
In the clash and turmoil Of the
news events Of the past week. one
matter Of import to the people of
the state has gone almost unheed-
ed; that is. the investigation Of the
charges made against the integ-
rity Of the state supreme court.
The chief reason for this is the
indifference engendered by much
experience in the difficulties Of
getting anything accomplished.
Any doubt as to the outcome
Of the investigation ceased with
the announcement by Speaker
Meigs of the cOmittee consisting
solely Of lawyers with one
possible exception, Of village med
iocrity even at law. The possible
exception, be it noted, is Repre-
sentative +. b. Palmer. Of Seat
tie, whose connection with the
supreme court in the recent past
brought no credit to himself and
still less to the supreme court. As
between the mediocre ability of
the other four members Of the
committee and the efficiency Of
Mr., Palmer, the public veal has
much more to hope from the for
mer We have am invests Eating
committee consisting Of four
fifths Of small lawyers, who, with
their careers yet ahead Of them,
can i'll afford to make enemies in
high places, and one-fifth, of Il
lawyer whose career behind him
makes friendship in high places
still more desirable. Which brings
the addition of our vulgar frac-
tons to zero as far as results for
the public are to be expected.
And there is little hope for any
accomplishment as long as inves-
! LEGATIONS of this character are left
to lawyers. Those who gain their
livelihood by the contentious and
crimes of their fellow man have,
in the evolution of popular gov
ernment, thrown about their call
ing a veil Of sanctity, Of impec-
cability and infallibility which is
defiled by the sacrilegous touch
of the layman, The sin against the
Holy Ghost has not more damn
atory possibilities than the whis-
per of suspicious against the in
tegity of court. Lawyers would
have us stand in holy awe of the
judge, the more so if he be gown
ed, and yet we must know what
we know. Surely the bench cannot
be the sole earthly calling in
which there is not to be found
one righteous man. And if one,
why not two, or even three
Judges are first but men, and see
ond but lawyers, and every day,
experience observation and hear
say tell us of men and lawyers
who are of the ordinary sinful
clay.
1t is significant fact in the
present instance that Mr.. De-
Wolfe, who instigated the inves-
! tigation, bided his time unil some
other manner of earning living
than the law was presented to
him. Otherwise his aggressiveness
would be worse than the QuiXotic
charging of windmills. Did not
f. b. Palmer, when the charges
We're first presented to the legis-
lature, grow Whitley indignant
with a threat Of disbarment, the
same Z. B. Palmer who, as a
member of the investigating com
mittee, showed no Indignation
when bluntly told he was a paid
servant of the Seattle Electric
company and the Puget Mill com
pany
For Mr.. DeWolfe to have made