Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-08-09
CHARGES ESPIONAGE
OF FEDERAL JUDGES
Senator BOrah Causes Sem
satiOn in Senate

agents had investigated federal judges
to influence their action in cases IN
which the government was interested
was made in the senate yesterday by
Senator Borah and indorsed partially
at least by Senator Norris.
Senator Borah's charge was brought
out by a report from Attorney Gen.
eral McReynolds, responding to sem
ate resolution asking where federal
agents we're investigating judges. The
resolution reflected some sentiment
aroused in the case of federal Judge
Speer, of Georgia, whose court has
been investigated and who has at
tackled the department of justice in a
public speech.
The attorney generals reply to the
inquiry was that any report that the
federal department of justice was
maintaining a system of espionage ov
er Judges was entirely without foun-
dadation."
Mr.. Borah responded with his di-
rect charge:
81 know this is a very serious
charge" he said, "but | am so relia-
bly, informed that I make the state
ment that within the last four or fiv4
years special agents have carried or
such Investigations with a view to in
fluencing the judges"
Senator Norris declared he did not
have all the information Senator Boz
.ral had, but that he believed his state
ments were based on fact.
The attorney generals report de-
clared that only three judges had been
investigated one of these being JUDGE
Robert w. Archbold
Senator Works, who introduced the
resolution, denounced the attorney
generals report today as "evasive,
and announced he would make fur
Their demand for information.
Charge is Startling.
Senator Borahs charge was charac
terized as startling" by Senators
Crawford and Sutherland. The latter
declared it needed Investigating" and
that if such sinister influences" con
tinued "the end of the republic was in
sight,
Senator Hoke Smith asked Senator
Borah for the exact time when federal
agents had been making these efforts
to influence judges in behalf of gov
eminent cases.
81 think it has been going on more
or less continuously for the last four
or five years." responded Mr. Borah.
"These judges are practically under
the control of the department as far
as promotion and demotion is con-
cerned," said Senator Borah.
They have been made to know what
the government desires in cases and
even what kind of a decision the gov
eminent desires handed down. If We
are going to have judiciary subject
to secret influences, / am in favor of
popular election and recall of judges
Senator Colt of Rhode Island, de-
clared that in his thirty-one years. ex>
perience on the federal bench in New
England never had an attempt been
made by the department of justice to
influence the judges. He knew, how
eevr, that special agents had been sent
to New England
No final action was taken on the
attorney generals report:
"No inspectors of other agents ar
appointed by the attorney general o.
by the department of justice speci-
fically to investigate and report upon
the courts or proceedings of any Of
the courts or judges of the United
States" said the attorney generals
report.
1t is stated, however, that force IS
employed under authority of congress
to investigate subjects that it is the
duty of the department to follow.
ITO state with paricuarity what