Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-02-16
wEpNEspAc. FEBRUARY 1s. 1921.
Lnudis Riding to n FALL

+ n CONVICTION OH the part Of many
persons who i'll the last few years have
watched the work OF his court that Judge
kenesaw Mountain Lands has been riding
TO fall may or may not he justified by
the outcome OF Representative Welty's i'm
parchment Of him for high crimes and mis-
demeanors. Judge Lands is declared by
Attorney General Palmer to have been with
in the law when he accepted a high-salared
position as supreme arbiter in baseball af-
fairs. the while holding on To his job as
judge OF the United States District Court,
and that support is likely to have cons!d-
cradle weight when the House, and possibly
the Senate later, come TO consider the for
NAL charges against him.
Whatever the outcome of the impcach-
mcnt proceedings may be, the general pub
lie will hardly be able TO rid itself OF the
feeling that it is a grave error for Judge
Lands, or any other man similarly placed
TO divide his time and his energies along
lines where his acts and motives are likely
TO be misinterprcted No one questions
the 100 per cent honesty and good intcn-
lions OF Judge Lands, but he has no right
To cndanScr the high prestige of his court
by engaging in other callings with inter
ests so d.ssimilar. The courts of the United
States and baseball are on Il different plane.
and ii may be doubted if even one OF Judge
b@ndiS versatile genius can conduct the
affairs of both without making his court
SUher ana detractnS from ii that public
respect for its decisions which is the bed
rock of the whole judiciary system
But il seems to us that Representative
Welty has missed ,hs"judgeis most vulner-
able point in his attack The danger to his
court and 10 public respect for the law is
infinitely less involved in his baseball CON
nection than it Is in certain remarks from
the bench the judge is said 10 have made
recently and which he has not den ed
These the Representative refuses to include
III his bill OF particulars, although the
whole fabric OF our courts, and the main
tenance OF law and order are threatened
+ Ii they are permitted 10 pass unchallenged
Judge Lands. il is reported in discharr-
ing an embezzlng bank clerk. laid the
whole blame for the theft on the bank
which pa!d him only $50 month for his
services II mat be true, then he DELHI
efateiy placed premium on theft Nv his
reasoning. if a 500 clerk is privileged to
steal 100000, then one earning half that
amount should b. entitled 10 steal twice
mat much, and. further, one earning $50
could only take $4,000 if he expected
The courts communication. That argument
sounds. and is. foolish but no more 50 ,han
the decision OF the judge who openly tolls
the underpa-d cnploye to take wha, he can
get his hands on, rather than To endeayor
10 earn more through merit or 90 whore
his services viii be better rewarded
NOT should il be forgotten that TIL, $40
clerk was clerk OF his own ynlition. I'm
order 10 have "a whitc-colar Job and keen
his hands soft and white, he accented ina
ineager salary. perhaps all or moro than
he was worth to the bank rather than don
oVeralis ana accept laborers Job which