The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1914-06-25
That Speer Report.

The sub committee OF the house jul
dietary committee on the Speer in
vestigation labored through the chill
Iy blasts of winter, through the chol
eric warmths of summer, labored, as
he who seeks the truth, but, is toe
blind to find it and brought forth a
puny question mark, a weak, yacillat
ing dog fall. as might have come from
a limekiln club report instead of from
a committee of lawyers from the
the greatest delibs-ative body on the
face of the earth,
1t was indeed mos. unfortunate that
this committee supposed to consist
of schooled advocates, learned states
men and wise law makers. did not
have the moral courage to do the
one thing or the manhood to do the
other.
After an investigation lasting fer
months, into all Of the evidence in
the case, in which a great and good
judge was not spared humiliation, In
which mere SANDER, vile and ugly
private opinion. etc, were eagerly
sought and written into this record
this committee voted unanimously
that this evidence did not establish
any ground for impeachment.
Why then did not this report stop
there, and why was Judge Speer not
given that free and une1uiyocal vindi-
cation thus established on the wit
ness stand? If the majority members
Of this committee did not propose to
impeach him, why did II travel in
! unlawful grounds TO spread on the
record this merciless criticism. unless
| ii sought to injure and destroy the
usefulness of this judge and add anoth.
| er humiliation to a long list of indecent
ones already heapcd upon his head In
this investigation? by what new
principle of legal procedure did these
lawyers journey when, sitting as a
grand jury they return a no bill, only
TO discuss to the court Their private
opinions of the maa just vindlcat 81
and acquitted, and take occasion 10
crlticise him and the evidence addl".
ed at the hearing?
In this connection we know OF
nothing more appropriate, on this per
| ticular point in the case, than tie
utteranoes of Judge A. j. Cobb, of Az
ems, former justice o. the supreme
court OF Georgia, a gentleman of the
highest integrity and unquesti1 1abie
ability Judge Cobb Is quoted as fol
lows:
"The unanimous finding of the com
mlttee that the evidence In the recent
investigation of Judge Speer's official
conduct does not establish any ground
of impeachment whatever is the re.
suit which would be reached by any
fair mind reading the evidence
with which the committee had to
deal
"The committee having unanimous
ly reported that there was no ground
for impeachment II Is unfortunate that
the majority of the committee should
have filed with their report state
ments in regard to the evidence which
will be construed as censure of the
! Judge, as in matters of this kind the
| finding must be under the delegated
powers of the House, either impeach-
ment or no impeachment, and there
is no authority in the House or its
committee, to eensure Judge for o.
fetal conduct except by the consti.
tutional method of impeachment.
Whether the criticisms made ay
the majority of the committee in te.
gard TO the conduct of the Judge are
| just will be "a matter about viii III
there would be those who would dis.
agree with the committee in the cen.
illusions which they reached The fact
that no case for impeachment was
made out will be stated, accepted by
any fair mind that reads critically
and with scrutiny the mass OF evi
dence made up as the committee K.
self states, In many instances OF
/ purely heresay,
The fact that the long judicial ca.
reer of Judge Speer has been made the
subject of an investigation of uulim.
tied scope and evidence or every
character admitted. without reference
to rules of evidence and nothing found