New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-05-07
THE PERSONS IN THE CASE.


The personalities in the impeachment pro-
ceedings against two federal judges in Mis-
souri, are perhaps, enIightening. Representa-
tive Murphy who makes the charges, comes
from the 10th District of Missouri He is
product of the Ozarks, and astOnished his dis
trict the whole state of Missouri and the elder
statesmen in Washington by getting himself
elected to Congress two years ago-the hrst
Republican ever sent TO the national capital
from his part of the world. People thought he
was an accident but it soon was demonstrated
that he was not. He went to Washington wear
ing a suit of blue jeans new woven on some
Ozark loom for the occasion. An accident
would have gone over to Sedalia or st joe
and bought suit of store" clothes; but not
the Hon. Pat" Next he achieved prompt
fame by introducing a bill making tips Illegal
in the District of Columbia. His hardy Ozark
manhood was scandalZed at the inroads ava
rcious walters threatened to make in the Con-
gressional stipend, and the hardy manhood
of all the rest of the Ozarks thrilled TO think
how their representative in blue jeans was re-
buking luxury and extravaganza. He I'M
covered one Of the minor evils and smote II,
thereby achieving wide fame. An accident
would have introduced a bill to abolish the
Stock Exchange and turn Wall Street around
so that it would lie north and south instead or
east and west and among the ambitious hun
projects the accident would have got lost in
the shuttle"
At the end of his first year in Washington
the Ozark representative, if our memory does
not deceive us informed the country how much
money Congressman could save by living in
nice. quiet boarding house, frowning upon "a
pacious walters and in general maintaining
simplicity of which the OZarks would approve.
Perhaps we are mistaken. Perhaps it was an
Missouri at the same time Mr.. Murphy did
and under similar circumstances who con
veyed this economic information to the coun-
try Well no matter. If Mr.. Murphy didn't
tell the world what we just said he did 1t was
because the other Congressman anticipated
him. An accident would have Joined the Met
ropolitan Club neglected the simple ways Of
Ozark thrift and sat in the seats of the ungodly
under the mistaken notion that he would gain
influence by cultivating social opportunities.
All of which proves that the Hon. pat" from
the land of blue jeans the thrifty OzarIls, one
of the plain people, was no accident. If it does
not prove it, for additional evidence here are
the impeachment proceedings against the judge
who declared AIissouris 2-cent fare law invalid.
We have given so much space to the accuser
that we have little left for the accused; none
at all, in fact, for Judge Phillips, who had
nothing TO do with the rate cases and whose
They were heard by Judge Smith Mcpherson,
the other federal judge whom the Ozark Rep
resentative seeks to have impeached. When
the 2-cent fare cases came before Judge Nc
Pherson he did something different from what
Judges all over the country were doing In
general they were enjoining the operation Of
the rate reduction statutes until they could
guess whether . cents n mile would be con-
fScatory or not. Judge Mcpherson ordered that
the 2-cent law should be put into effect, so that
he should have the actual results of operation
under it before him upon which to determine
whether the rate was in practice contiscatory
or not. Such q test exceptional. but it GER
tainly W. good sense. And since then the
Supreme Court has held that rate laws should
in general be tested in just that way before the
courts essay to determine whether they are
reasonable or not. That seems to indicate that
Judge Smith Mcpherson Is a level headed
Judge even though he does unblushingly admit
that three years ago he did go fishing with Mr..
Gardiner Lathrop. now solicitor general Of the
Santa F6 Railway system.