The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1910-06-30
JUDICIAL ACROBATiCS.

from learning ustiul trades, and tins
forced them into lives of idIeness and
crime
= 1t is probable that the ends of JUS
tice would have been fully served had the
Judge contented himself with passing sen
tence on the persons convicted; but he
felt inspired 90 to make an accusation
against working men without according
| them any of the common rights of de-
PENDANTS.
When judge will thus go out of
his way to throw Il brick ut labor, and
thus display his luminosity, what hope
| IS there that labor expect any fair
ness from him in any trial involving
the rights of labor should be held in his
court!
And this WAS not all.
When certain labor men questioned the
correctness Of his statement and asked
for proof, the judge replied:
~ have made my statement; it is for
you to disprove it
Now is we understand it, this answer
is SO directly subversive or contrary to
all Judicial practice to amount to .ju-
dicial acrobatics.
We believe the usual practice in the
courts is first to charge Il defendant
with crime and next to prove him gull
ty.
About all the defense has to do is to
successfully rebut, offset, the evidence
of the prosecution.
And there is Il presumption of limo
cence of the defendant which must be
overcome beyond reasonable doubt
In his unwarranted dispersion upon the
labor movement, the Judge, herein re
ferred to, reverses the rule of evidence
in holding that the accused must prove
innocence, and wipes out the presumption
of innocence entirely.
True, this is not Il case in court, but
it is an expression of a judge, in open
court.
Suppose man were accused of muir
der, and the court should rule that in
asmuch as he WAS accused he would be
held guilty until he had conclusivcly pro
ven his innocence. What chance would
the accused havef
If judges have such high character
and judicial minds rs would be in accord
with the exalted view of the respect that
is due the courts, which exists in some
circles, we could hardly expect one of
them to commit such an objectionable
act TO prejudice
If the courts are impartial as claimed
by some, why is it that you never see
where amy Judge ever passed structures
upon capitalists as Il class.
When Il man is appointed to Il Judge
ship is he supposed to perform certain
well defined duties, or is he to serve as
mentor in chief to the whole human race
in addition 10 administering the law in
his court?
Such actions as these are rapidly bring
ing the courts into dsrespect with all
classes.
No less AN authority than President
Taft has very recently said that he be
hcrcd the largest question of reform be
fore us was to reorganize the methods
and practice of the courts.
While the president very probably did
not have i'll mind such cases as these, it
is clear that on other grounds he does
not hold the courts to be very high mod
els OF efficiency and justice, and it is
possible that there may be other defects
than those 50 apparent and shocking to
him.
When leading judicial authorities ad-
NIT that certain weaknesses exist, one is
licensed to think there may be other
weaknesses, which either have not been
discovered, or having been discovered,
have not been exposed
The United States Senate has shown
how much respect its members have for
the majesty of the courts when they
fatty refused to obey Judge Wright s
order.
Let us have more Judicial acrobatics-
the more the merrier.
The more the judges stand on their
heads to show their spleen against a
class of society which they dislike, the
sooner we shall have IA judicial system
under which rich and poor, capital and
labor shall be treated impartially and
that is all we ask.-S-oe Makers Jour
nal.
1EHDrC