The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-01-17
ARCHIBALD STRIPPED
Of JUDICIAL HONOR
AND FoREv DISQUALIFIED
FROM HOLDING ANY OFFICE
OF HONOR AGAIN
only Twice Before in History Has
such Drastic Action Been Taken.
Was Found Guilty on Five
Counts.

Washington. - With the crushing
force of unanimity the senate Monday
impeached and removed from his posi-.
ton as Judge of the United States cir
cult court Robert w. Archibald Of
pennsylvania and then by a vote of
81 to 80 forever disqualified him from
holding any office of honor, trust or
profit under the United States"
The latter action was a bitter disap-
polntment to the friends of the ac-
cused Judge, for they had been striy-
Ing earnestly for days with high hopes
OF success to induce a majority of the
senators to limit the punishment Of
Judge Archibald to removal from office
without lnflicting the added humiIia.
ton and disgrace of forever shutting
him out from holding office under the
government. But the senate felt that
Itself and the whole Impeachment ma
chinery Of the government were on
trial as we'll as Judge Archibald. By
combination of progressive republj-
cans, with democrats, a majority was
secured for the infliction of the ex-
IRENE penalty provided by the consti-
tuition for judges convicted on i'm
parchment of high crimes and misde-
meanors On the bench. This drastic
action of the impeachment court fol-
lowed the conviction of the accused
judge on five of the thirteen articles
of impeachment presented. by the
house of representatives.
The vote on the first article, that
relating to the judges connection with
the Katydid Culm Dump deal, was the
most decisive and at once revealed to
all that the conviction of the Judge
was a certainty. The vote on the first
article resulted IS for conviction to 5
for acQuittal. The five senators who
stood by Archibald were Oliver, Pen
rose, Burnham of New Hampshire,
Catron of New Mexico and Paynter of
Kentucky. The latter was the only
democrat voting in the negative. and
throughout all the subsequent ballot
ing he stood with Penrose, Oliver,
Burnham and Catron for the acquittal
Of the accused.
Senator O'Gorman of New York, at
the conclusion of the votes on the
separate articles Of impeachment,
made the motion that the accused be
removed from the bench and be for
ever disqualified for holding office un-
der the United States. Senator Oliver
requested that the question be d.
vided and that the disqualification
clause be voted on separately. This
request was acceded to. Then the
vote on removal from the bench was
taken by viva voce and was unani-
nous. The other part of the question,
being one of punishment, did not re-
Quire two-thirds to carry and was
adopted by SO to IS. The solemn
judgment of the senate having thus
been recorded, Senator Bacon, the
president pro tempore, declared in
grave tones:
Upon the order just passed, the
senate do order and it is hereby adj
judged, that the respondent, Robert
w. Archibald, circuit Judge of the
United States from the third judicial
circuit, and designated to serve on
the commerce court, be and he is
hereby removed from office and that
he be and is hereby forever disquali-
fled to hold or enjoy any office of
honor, trust or profit under the Unit
ed States"
Six democrats, Bacon and Smith of
Georgia, Foster and Thornton of
Louisiana, Bankhead of Alabama and
Paynter of Kentucky. voted against
disqualifying Judge Archibald for life
from holding office in the United
States
This is the first conviction before
the senate since Judge West H. Hum
phreys of Tennessee was. removed at
the beginning of the civil war for trea-
son by going over to the confederate
government with his court That was
fifty-two years ago. 1t is the first con-
yiction of federal judge for delin-
Quency on the bench since 1903, when
Judge John Pickering of New Hamp-
shire was removed. That was los
years ago. Archibald, Humphreys and
Pickering were the only judges ever
convicted by the senate. Three
judges, Swayne of Florida in 1904,
John H. Peck of Missouri in 1880 and
Samuel Chase, associate justice of the
supreme court in 1905, were tried but
acquitted.