The Washington times., 1921-10-15
Judges Pay and Their
Morals

be substantially increased but he is wrong assert
ng that the present salaries of Federal judges being small
,ubject the judiciary to temptation OF money brbes
We do not believe that single decision OF the United
States Supreme Court swayed by venalty This
probably true also in nearly all Of State Supreme
Courts.
The very idea that the majority of the Supreme Court
could be bbed by payments Of money need increase
of salary to keep them out of temptation from such cor
rupt influences shocking to those who love their country
and have faith in its institutions.
We do not to say that the Supreme Court always
impartally interpres the law We think it often fails
to do
Judges human they are affected by propnquty
by their associations by the passions and preudces OF
their class. They sometimes yield to subtle appeals to
their vanity to the fatey of wealth. and thus seduced
socially but they cannot be bought with money.
Roger Taney, Chief Justice of the United States, who
the Dred Scott decision perpeuang human slavery
answered the call of the social class to which he belonged
Two billion dollars value in slaves at stake. But he
was not corrupt The law thus made could not be nulfed
until it was revoked But Lincoln said at the time
''We can change the judges" That was done.
Another distinguished Justice of the Supreme Court,
George Shras prevented for eighteen income tax
upon wealth in the United States He did by changing
his vote at the minute from the affirmative to the
negative. He from a citadel OF private wealth,
Pittsburgh He could dvest himself of the preudces
of his class He not corrupt
Such Judges naturally lean toward autocracy and
putocracy because they strong They dsrust democ
racy and deny social justice The moral sentiments OF mu
tudes of people make impression upon the highly tech
meal, legal InlnuS OF dlIhouSh Iheoo
moral sentiments the foundation of law and the main
spring of progress.
Too many judges live in class atmosphere. They are
welcomed and flaered in exclusive clubs, where the pre-
rogaves of select classes matters of most concern and
where the average is discussed though no dis
respect is intended, very much cattle kings discuss
their herds
In such an atmosphere judges led sometimes deber
aey and sometimes quite unconscousy by their personal
contacts into tevng that they the guardians of the
social fabric instructors of legislators and the makers
net the mere Interpreters, of the law.
They become arrogant in their pride of place. usurp the
functions of Congress- forget that they only Judges not
statesmen They make the law responsive to the only
public opinion with which they come in contact-that OF
the preudiced and privileged few who think chiefly OF
themselves
In the quiet chambers in which such judges write their
opnon the voice of conscencei sometimes sed and the
murmur of the crowd is very far Off When that murnur
comes from mob should be bravey resisted at times or
denied by the fearless upright judge for it is often wrong
But when that comes, from the conscience and
moral sentiment of the it is always the voice OF
God Woe the Judge nation that does not heed it.