The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-08-09
BoRAH's JUDICIAL SENSATION.

latIonS between the Attorney General
of the United States and the Federal
Judiciary. especially the District Judges.
He openly alleged in the Senate on
Thursday, hat the Department of JUS
tice maintains q sort Of critical over
sight and attempted stccrage of the
Federal District Judges in the different
States of the Union, letting these Judges
know what the opinion of the Attorney
General S office is on cases coming be-
fore them, and also "gettiug some
thing on the judges that viii compel
them to serious consideration of the
dicta of the Attorney General.
We believe that Senator Borah had
ample reason for bringing this matter
TO the attention of the Senate. A reso
luton introduced by Senator Works
had been passed. calling for information
al TO whether Federal agents from the
Department of Justice are "investigat-
ing" the Federal Judges. Attorney
General McRcynolds replied in an eva
sivc way, much to the discomfort of
Senator Works. who announced that he
will follow up his resolution with an.
other resolution demanding specific in
formation.
IL was upon the receipt of this eva
sive reply of the Attorney General that
Senator Borah sprung his sensation. Sen
ator Works referred to no recent infor-
nation of such espionage over the
judges, but it is very likely that his
resolution of inquiry had something to
do with the so.caled ''white slave'
cases now under prosecution before
Judge Van Fleet in San Francisco. The
intimation, of course, is that the AT"
torney General has undertaken TO in
fluence the course of Judge Van Fleet
in the trial of these cases. 1t is un
derstood that Attorney General Nc
Reynolds holds that the Mann "white-
slave" act applies exclusively TO com
mcrcialized vice, and was not intended
to apply TO cases such as those Of
Diggs and Caminetti, or any other
cases of private vice and irregular re-
lations, even though the State line be
crossed in the pursuance of that pri
vate vice. In this connection, the RI |
diculous statement of Diggs that his |
vicious conduct IN this case is being
made a political issue is a possible |
pointer toward the feeling Of Wash |
Ington officialdom with respect to this |
The father Of Caminetti, |
who is immigration Commissioner and !
who is intrusted with the enforcement |
Of the immigration laws, including the |
dealing with international vice Of this !
sort, appears in an anomalous posi- !
lion. All this makes the case pecu
iarly complicated one. and open to
in many directions.
We may cite in this same connection
The case of Judge c. II. Hanford OF Sc
attle, who was forced out Of office by !
General Wickersham. Judge |
Hanford had vacated the naturaliza-
lion papers of an anarchist on the
ground that the oath taken by the APP
olicant in that case was perjury, since
.he applicant proclaimed his contempt |
Tor and defiance Of the Federal Con-
;titution. Judge Hanfbrd was sub
jected to good deal of criticism on
account of this incident. and the At
.orney General set out TO "investi-
gate the Judge He got some
hing on him, as was commonly un-
ierstood, that had nothing to do with
he case, and put it up TO Judge Han
ford squarely whether he would re-
,ign, vacate the order, or face public
,harges Judge IIanford declined to
7acate the order, and resigned, feel
ug unable to fight the sort of tactics
against him.
Other Instances might be cited where
he Attorney General 5 office has un-
iertaken 70 deal with the Federal Dis
rict Judges in d way that is thorough
V foreign TO the Constitution and the
aw. IT is evident that Senators are
finding out some OF the things that are
being quietly whispered around among
hose who arc aware Of these Federal
The supervision of Fed
,ral Judges in the management of
,ases would make the judges mere in
,truments OF the Department Of JUS
ice for the carrying out Of ideas or
policies prevalent in that office, not
true judges presiding uprightIy in
.rials. But the independence Of the ju
iiciary would be thoroughly squelched
through that sort of supervision and
Inc spy system suggested by Senators
Works and Borah, and the action of the
Judges would be completely subverted
through underhaud means.
II is to be hoped that Senator Works
viii push his resolution, demanding
from the Attorney General what he is
ioing in this respect, until he gets a
reply, and that Senator
Borah will be able 10 satisfy the de.
nauds of the Democratic Senators for
specific instances Of the meddling OF
the Attorney Generals office with Dis
irict Judges on the Federal bench
CANAL EXPOSITION SUCCESS.