Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-23
Georgia Federal Official
Severely Arraigned in
Committee Report.
TOBE NO IMPEACHMENT T
comulete AcquittaI Denied by
Majority. While Minority
Urges Such Action.

washington. y. c. June 23.-"The
.,,hconrnfttee regrets its inability TO
e,rner recommend a complete acquittal
~ Judge Speer OF all culpability so far
ss these changes are concerned, on the
one hand. OF an impeachment on the
o,ber hand This was the conclus-
ion submitted 10 the house judiciary
committee today by the special sub
committee that for months has been
Investigating charges OF official mis-
conduct fled against Emory Speer Of
Macon. federal judge for the southern
district OF Georgia
The report. after an exhaustive re-
sumo OF evidence with severe COM
ments. held that some of Judge Speer's
official actions tend to approach
condition OF tyranny and oppression"
but recommended that no further pro-
ceedings be had by the house.
These conclusions now rest with the
full committee on judiciary, which is
expected to report them to the house
for final disposition of the case before
adjournment of the present session OF
congress. The subcommittee COM
prises Representatives Webb, North
Carolina; FitZhenry. Illinois, demo
Gratis. and Volstead, Minnesota, Iepub-
hcan.
Nineteen charges were fled with the
committee. They alleged, among 9th
er things. that Judge Speer entertain
Cd matters beyond his courts juriscic-
ton. allowed excessive trustee fees 10
Z personal friend. used his official po-
sition for preferment of his sOn-in-law,
A. H Hayward. abused his authority
by domestic use OF government paid
court employees. violated laws regard
Ing drawing OF jurors and dissipated
bankrupt estates by appointing unnec-
essary officials and allowing excessive
fees.
Oehes Supreme Court
Another charge was that, in the case
Of Henry Jamison, a Macon negro.
Judge Speer defied the mandates of
the supreme court of the United States
and the circuit court Of appeals.
The subcommittee conclusion fol-
lows:
The conclusion of the subcommit-
tee deducsd from the evidence taken
and from the construction Of the prece-
dents OF Impeachment trials. is that at
the present time satisfactory evidence
sufficient 70 support conviction upon
a trial By the senate is not obtainable. |
IN the conduct OF the hearings the |
committee was extremely liberal and |
did not confne the witnesses TO the
giving Of technically legal evidence. !
Much evidence of a hearsay nature /
was received. The committee felt JUS |
tifed in such a course in the light of /
the fact that IL came to the attention
OF the committee that many Witnesses
were apprehensiye Of the conse-
quences OF giving evidence against
Judge Speer in the event Of his acquit-
tai This feeling and the general dis
position on the part of individuals to
protect themselves against what was
termed the wrath OF Judge Speer
kept from the committee the names OF
the Witnesses and a knowledge Of the
facts in their possession. Many of the
witnesses whose testimony would be
absolutely necessary 70 sustain some OF
the charges made are dead Others
have removed from the southern dis
trict Of Georgia and their whereabouts
are unknown.
Another phase Of the record is that
II details a large number OF official
acts on the part Of Judge Speer which
are IN themselves legal. yet when tax.
en- together. develop into a system
teholng TO approach a condition OF
tyranny and oppression. There has
Deen an inequitable exercise Of fudfc-
iaI discretion, many instances OF which
nave Deeh frequently criticized where
the cases in which they were commit
ied nave been reviewed by the courts
u appeal. while in others Iitigsnts ,
were unable financially 10 prosecute '
appeals That the power Of the con-,
has been exercised in a despotic and
autocratic manner by the Judge came,
be questioned"
Forces Pleas Of Guilty.
The JamisOn case Is one Of the many
shown BY the record where 2
he Judge. without taint OF individual E
eruption and with the apparently ,
agdable purpose Of purifying the com. q
nunity and inaugurating a civic re-
oru, disregarded the law and appar. {
nuy considered that the end Justified 2
be means. d
Ile record shows instances where
ne judge sitting in the trial Of Grim 7
nal cases. apparently forced pleas OF
ulity from defendants or convictions. '
hd there IS strong evidence tending
snoW that IN one case, at least, he S
9rced innocent parties 20 enter SUCH {
'ees through a fear Of the conse- 4