Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-23
JUDGE SPEER
NOT IMPEACHED
Continued from First pagc.1

court in any civilized country would
tolerate any such proceeding.
eff judges are to be subjected to
the treatment accorded Judge Speer,"
concludes the report, how can they
be expected to maintain that spirit
of independence SO essential to the
just administration of the law"
The report, after an exhaustive res
ume of evidence, with severe COM
ments, held that some of Judge
Speer's official actions tend to APP
proach a condition of tyranny and
oppression" but recommended that no
further proceedings be had by the
House.
Now Before Judiciary Committee.
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
the adjournment of the present ses-
sion of Congress. The sub committee
comprises Representatives Webb,
North Carolina, and Fitzhenry, I'LL
nois, Democrats, and Volstead,
Minnesota, Republican.
Nineteen charges were filed with
the committee. They alleged, among
other things, that Judge Speer enter
tanned matters beyond his courts
jurisdiction. allowed excessive trus-
tee fees to a personal friend used his
official position for preferment of his
son-in-law, A. II. Hayward; abused
his authority by domestic use of
government-paid court employees, VIC
lated laws regarding dl awning of
Jurors, and dissipated bankrupt es-
tates by appointing unnecessary Of
ticials and allowing excessive fees.
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 APP
peals.
The committees conclusions in
part follow: 1.-THE conclusion of the
subcommittee, deduced from the evil
dence taken and from the construc-
ton of the precedents of impeach-
ment trials, is that at the present
time satisfactory evidence sufficient
to support conviction upon a trial
by the Senate is not obtainable.
Committee Defends Verdict.
I'm the conduct of the hearings the
committee was extremely liberal and
did not confine the witnesses to the
giving of technically legal evidence.
Much evidence of a hearsay nature
was received. The committee felt
justified in such a course in the light
of the fact that it came to the atten
ton of the committee that many wit
nesseS were apprehensive of the con-
sequences of giving evidence against
Judge Speer in the event of his ac-
quittal. This feeling and the general
disposition on the part of individuals
to protect themselves against what
was termed the wrath of Judge
Speer e1ept. from the committee the
names of the witnesses and a knowl-
edge of the facts in their possession.
Many of the witnesses whose testi-
mony would be absolutely necessary
to sustain some of the charges made
are dead Others have removed from
the southern district of Georgia and
their wi ereabouts are unknown.
Another phase of the record is that
It details a large number of official
acts on the part of Judge Speer,
which are in themselves legal, yet,
when taken together develop into a
system tending to approach u condi-
ton of tyranny and oppression.
There has been an inequitable exer
else of judicial discretion, many in
stances of which have been frequent
" criticised where the cases in which
they were committed have been re-
viewed by the courts of appeal, while
In others litigants were unable
financially, to prosecute appeals.
That the power of the court has been
exercised in a despotic and autocra
tic manner by the judge cannot be
questioned"