The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1914-06-24
NOT ACQU|TTAL
OR IMPEACHMENT
CONCLUSIONS NOW REST WITH
FULL COMMITTEE OF THE
JUDICIARY
MINORITY REPORT IS MADE
Representative VoIstad, of Minnesota,
Files Minority Report, Declaring
There is No Evidence Warranting
the Judges Impeachment.
MINORITY REPORT IS MADE

Washington, June 23.-"The sub
committee regrets it's inability to
either recommend a complete ac-
quittal of Judge Speer of agl .ful
pability so far as these charges are
+feeacerned, on the one hand or an
IMPEACHMENT, on the other hand"
This %was the conclusion submitted
to the House judiciary committee to-
day by the special subcommittee
that for months has been investigat-
ing charges of official misconduct
filed against Emory Speer, of Macon,
federal judge for the Southern dis
trict of Georgia.
The report, after an exhaustive
resume of evidence with severe COM
ments, held that some of Judge Speer's
official actions tend to al Droach a
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, wnicl IS
expected to report them to the Home
for final disposition of the case be.
fore the adjournment of the pre- iept
session of congress. The suo-com i t.
tee comprises Representatives WEBB
North Carolina, Fitzhenry, Illinois,
Democrats, and Volstead, Minnesota,
Republican.
Mr.. Volstead in minority report
similarly declaring that there is no
evidence warranting Impeachment,
will attack the majority of the sub
committee for criticising a judge they
declare not guilty Of an impeachable
offense.
Nineteen charges were MED with
the committee. They alleged, among
other things, that Ioudge Speer el
tertained mats beyond his courts
jr-i-1sdlii allowed excessive trus-
Tee fees to a personal friend, used his
official position for preferment of his
!, son-in-law, A. H. Hayward, abused his
gauthority by domestic use of govern
ment paid court employees, violated
laws regarding drawing of jurors, and
dissipated bankrupt estates by ap
pointing unnecessary officials and al
lowing excessive fees.
Another charge was that in the
case of Henry Jamison, a Macon
negro, Judge Speer defed the man.
dates of the Supreme Court of the
United States and the Circuit Court
, of Appeals.
!. The subcommittee Conclusions
follow:
THE conclusion of the sub-commit-
tee deduced from the evidence taken
and from the constructions of the
proceedings of impeachment trials
is that at the present time satisfac-
tory evidence sufficient to support a
conviction upon a trial by the Sen
ate is not obtainable.
Committee Very Liberal
= ''In the conduct of the hearings
the committee was extremely liberal
and did not confine the witnesses to
the giving of technically legal evil
dence. 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
attention of the committee that many
witnesses were apprehensive of the
consequences of giving evidence
against Judge Speer in the event of
his acquittal. This feeling and the
general disposition on the part of the
dividuals to protect themselves against
what is termed the wrath" of Judge
Speer kept from the committee the
names of the witnesses and knowl-
edge of the facts in their possession.
Many OF the witnesses whose testimo-
ny would be absolutely necessary TO
sustain some of the charges made are
dead. Others have removed from the
di&rict of Georgia and their where
ab1Tts are unknown.
40 ms Approach Tyranny.
An ser phase of the record is
that it details large number OF Off
cial acts on the part of Judge Speer,
which are in themselves legal, yet
when taken togther, develop into a
system tending to APPROACH a condi-
ton of tyranny and oppression. There
has been an ine4uitable exercise OF
judicial discretion, many instances OF
which have been frequently criticised