The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-07-16
DISTRICT jUDGSHIPS
 PLAYED BY DONOVAN IN SPIRITED DEBATE.
Connecticut Congressman h. terrOgateS House Leader
 in Spicy Discussion
Fourth District Representative Argues for Fullest Publicity and Refers to Corrupt
 Officials--.e..s..ss
W our staff corree.l }

JBy OQE GId1G COIT0E5.J
 Washington, July Representative gressional district was a prominent figure in the House debate yesterday when the question of the Pennsylvania Judgeship came up for action.
 The Connecticut man. told Represen- tative Mitchell Palmer of Pennsylvania that he would raise the point "no quorum unless he was permitted to interrogate MT. Mitchell who was in charge of the bill and in addition to the interrogating he, Oonovan), must have at least five minutes to parti- cipate in the discussion.
 On both points Congressman Dono- van was successful.
 judgeships MT Donovan asked MT. Palmer why he had not urged that these vacancies be filled. .sThe Penn sylvanfa case is not an emergency declared MT. Donovan, because the judge ie living, but when there is no one to act, the judge being dead, what could be more of an emergency ease?
 MT Palmer replied that Congress could not act where a judge is dead. but MT. Donovan insisted that MT. Palmer. doing his duty to the people of this country, should have these posi- tions fi1led-s' MrS Palmer is regarded as the representative of the Wilson Szrse
 Concluding the .colloquys MT. Palmer said:
 .sEvidently the gentleman from Con nectieut is endorsing somebody for judge somewhere who has not yet been appointed. I wish him luck and I hope the prospective judge whom he is endorsing will finally reach his place upon the bench quIck1y.''
 Later Mr Donovan took another tack. He said-that tflesdistrict judge is e'as a petty justice compared to the higher courte,'' and is practically of no importance. The district judge deals principally with statute-made crimes relating to the revenue laws, etc, and requires Knowledge Of the common law to- deal with only 3 per cent of the cases. Yet the new judge would receive S7,o0o a year, or about a quarter of a million dollars during his natural life. MT. Donovan argued that nobody knows about the district courts because there have been Vacan- cies for a, year. He said that Chair man Clayton of the Judiciary commit tee Knows of that vacancy and all though the country is suffering. it does not worry him in the slightest g
 MT. Donovan argued for publicity of endorsenents of judicial can didates to prevent things going wrong with the judges. s'We have judges that ought to be in prison instead of on the Dench, he declared, WnO were rec commended by men waor ought to be In prison. The public pays the judges, salaries and has to suffer IKorn their decisions, and it is entit1edto know who are behind the judges MT. Donovan added sarcasticaiIy that of course nothing wrong Is done in Ala bama, (Clayton's home), or Pennsy1- vania, but he declared seriously that things are different elsewhere. He de- manaed to know how long Clayton and Palmer would stand 1t if judges issued injunctions, orders and decisions always in favor of the interests and prosecuting others. MT. Donovan con- cluded with a plea for supporting the Baltimore platforms declara ton in favor of publicity of endorsements. De- c1aring that the country had voted for that platform, he urged that the pub 1icity amendment would benefit man kind. "The gentleman from fPennsyl- vania and Ala bama would throw the Baltimore platform into the waste bas- ket now,' shouted Donovan. although they voted for publicity in the last Congress- ,8