The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1910-09-03
Would Silence Free Speech

HE NEWS IN giving large space To-Day 10 d letter on June o,
1910, sent to George Kilborn, owner of the Nevada State Jour
L nal, by Judge James G. Sweeney of the supreme court of the
state of Nevada, makes no apology. Judge James &. Sweeney Is a
candidate for the Democratic nomination to the United States senate,
and at the same time occupies the highest judicial position he can be
given by the people of the state of Nevada. The Nevada State Jour
nal has from time to time taken occasion to fearessly criticize Judge
Sweeney, the same as it has and does criticize the acts of any other
state official in need of criticism, regardless of party affiliations.
Judge Sweeneyis letter to Mr.. Kilborn may easily be seen to be
IA threat. in which the candidate for a United States senatorship pros
titutes the high office which he now holds, and demands Nh. Kiborn s
silence as to Judge Sweeney actions under pain of punishment by the
court. In other words, Judge Sweeney threatens to use the supreme
court of the Commonwealth of Nevada to prohibit free speech when
that speech is directed at the shortcomings of Judge James G.
Sweeney, aspirant for the United States senatorship.
James G. Sweeney, as judge of the supreme court of the state of
Nevada, tells the Nevada State Journal to keep its hands off of James
G. Sweeney a a private citizen and as a n aspirant for a senatorship,
lest Judge Sweeney will revenge himself upon Mr. Kilborn, through
the supreme court powers he holds. Judge Sweeney mentions the
position to Mr. Sweeney.
The News is informed that Judge Sweeney sent similar letters to
other papers in the state, and that they have been silent since then,
and are not opposing him in any manner.
Adding insult to his previous threat, Sweeney recently put out a
circular, referring to The State journal, and daring the State Journal
to publish his letter of June sth. The journal published not only the
letter. but the reply to the letter and an editorial explaining the writ
ing between the lines in Sweeney's letter. All honor to George d.
Kilborn for refusing to bow down. to- supreme court judge who has
so prostituted his high office as to endeavor to Sc the power it gives
him in furthering his own personal ends and aims. The Journal edi-
tonal on the matter follows:
James G. Sweeney, justice Of the supreme court of the state of
Nevada, has caused to be circulated in the interests of his campaign
u cdnuludt 10 me nllhal TO Umteu States senator a Tour
page folder in which he challenges this paper to publish a letter writ
ten on June s, 1910, to Mr.. George Klborn, proprietor of the journal.
In that letter MI. Sweeney says:
This letter is personal and you need not feel in any way obliged
to publish it
In the circular Mr.. Sweeney says: - = . a personal letter
to him dated June s, which then asked him to publish, and which |
now again challenge him to publish in his paper
The Journal did not publish that letter believing that the Ian
guage was unfit and that the indiscriminate use of such words as
mongrel, ascurrlous, ours and the like were only fit for the waste
paper basket and hardly the proper language to emanate from the
of a justice of the Nevada supreme court.
However, Mr. Sweeney has dared the Journal to publish the
letter and it is reproduced in full elsewhere in the paper, together
the reply sent to Mr. Sweeney.
This letter was, in the belief of the Journal, sent for only one
purpose, that OF mtmdating the press. Similar letters were written
to other papers and had the desired effect. 1t had no such effect upon
the Journal.
This paper has nothing against Mr.. Sweeney personally. 1t
would not go into his personal affairs if it could. Its only interest is
in MIR. Sweeney S public career and his acts have in our Judgment
him as a man who should be elected to the United States
senate o r to any office OF responsibility in the gift of the people.
Mr.. Sweeney S letter to Mr. Kilborn was sent out on the Sh of
June. on the 18th MI. sweeney announced himself as a candidate for
the Democratic primary nomination for United States senator.
"On june 10 the report of the grand jury of Nye county embodied
report on the affairs of the Nye & Ormsby County bank after in
occupying seVera weeks. in which James G. Sweeney was
roundly scored for his partrkaion in that fasco and escaped indict-
ment only because of the ina tsuacy of the law.
1.-The journal has in the recent past had something 10 say about d
the freedom of the press an the enormous power possessed by the
courts. 81 l.
me Vaccinations q sweeney have had more to inspire these O
articles than any other cause These were examples in point and now O