The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-16
STATE LEGION STAFF WOULD EJECT WILKINSON
 POST NO. l IS FOR HOME
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charges, giving Judge Wilkinson an opportunity to be heard, and after a full and flair consideration of the evi- dence has found them to be true:
 That the conduct of Judge Wilkin- son in this matter constituted a vio- lation of the constitution of the American Legion and of the purposes and objects for which 1t was organ ized
 Exercising the power delegated it by the department executive commit tee this committee recommends the discharge of Judge Wilkinson as rep resentativc of the department fin the national executive committed In arriving at this conclusion and taxing this action. your special com mittee has confined itself to two inquiries:
 | Did Judge Wilkinson write certain articles in the Marion County News ana publish them anonymously?
 Did such conduct constitute a vio- latlon Of the constitution of the American Legion?
 Other Matters InmateriaI
 other matters. no matter how ur- sehtIy insisted upon, have been con siuered 1mmaterial. This commjttee holds that the guilt or innocence of the indicted defendants has no bear Ing upon the guilt or innocence of 1uose Wilkinson, nor does the all tpseo use of unfair propag ganda by the defendants, their counsel of friends, justify a resort by the state or it's representative to similar unfair methods of influencing the verdicts or Jurles. Two wrongs have never made right in law or morals. and It mas never been thought that in Judicial investigations the end sought Justfies the means used. It being established by Judge Will kinson's latest statements that he Was the author of substantial part or the issue of the Marion County News. dated July 20, and that he wa s the author of other articles appearinr Tn other issues of the same news- raper, entitled. How Juries Are ElXed,' Marion County Must Do It's Duty and Lancaster Case Starts Next Monday" and that these articles were published unsigned, with his consent Just preceding the time set for the trial, does such conduct con stltute violation of the constitution or the American Legion? Your com mlttee is of the opinion that it does
 Maintain Law and Order
 The purposes for which the Ameri- can Legion stands organized are set
 
 tioh; among them are Ito maintain law and order,' Ito inculcafe sense Of individual obligation to the com munity, state and nation" ito safe guard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom? and democracy" The right of trial by an unprejudiced and unbiased jury is one of the long established princi- pies of freedom and justice. It is the great bulwark of law and or- der; and one who tampers with such a right, especially in the name of the state. which ought to guarantee 1t, Is not seeking to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the commu- nifty. the state or the nation That the publication of such unsigned arr ticles is a breach of the ethics of Judge Wilkinscn's profession ap- pears from the language of the Ala bama State Code of Ethics Code of 1907. Volume 3, page 9S4). That the articles written by Judge Wilkinson did constitute tamperng With the whole venire of Marion county seems established by the action of the presiding judge in continuing the case indefinitely, and of the cir cult solicitor in Joining in the mo- tlon for such continuance, Any
  sipated by reading of the articles, marked copies of which are hereto attached as exhibits.
 Reiterated Instances
 Judge WillSinsons statement to the press stands in aggravation rath- CT than mitigation of his offense. The public and reiterated insistence that a representative of the state of Alabama has a right to engage in unfair means to influence juries simply because the defendants may have done so indicates a perverted misunderstanding of the institutions of this country. Such doctrine will justify bribery by bribery, or murder by murder: presuming that the na- tional guardsmen are guilty, such doctrine would readily acquit them, The public enunciation of such prin- ciples by former judge and assist ant attorney general of Alabama and high official of the American I.e- zion cannot be overlooked by such an organization as ours. Respect fully submitted,
 MARION RUSHTON, Chairman. CErn nnTrvIJ I 10