The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-07-14
And They Call
This Justice!
(EDITORIAL)

added vengeance upon the head of Carl c.
Magee editor of the Albuquerque Tribune, fear
less critic and foe of the republican machine.
Now he has been sentenced by Judge David }.
Leahy to serve year in the penitentiary at hard
labor and his paper fined total of $4,000. This
under contempt-of-court charges.
Previously he had been sentenced Is months
for lbeling a supreme court judge.
Magee is a democrat, the judges who are cru
clfyng him are republicans.
The jury which tried him in the first case was
composed of II observation-disclosures, all repub-
LEANS and totally unable even to read the al
legged libelous statement on which they based
determination to take from Magee his liberty!
The Magee case has all the ear-marks of
frame-up, whose purpose it is to railroad po-
itical opponent and victim to the penitentiary,
regardless of rules, dignity or decency.
More than that it is glazing illustration of
the pitiful fact that some courts lend themselves
easily and fagrantly to evil methods and shame
full abuses of power-that they invite contempt
MAGE has been fighting the New Mexico
~ political ring, which largely exists in that
state thru manipulation of "greaser' voters. He
charged that public funds had been mishandled
by the clerk of the supreme court, and declared
eve wish to direct the attention of Judge
Bolts and Judge Bratton, of the supreme court
to what has gone on in their court. We do not
suggest anything to Judge Parker. He has
grown too accustomed to old methods to see any
thing wrong in what happened"
For this sentence he was found guilty of GRIM
inal libel by Judge Leahy, member of the politi-
cal faction the editor fighting, and friend of
Judge Parker. For this crime" he must serve
Is months at hard labor, the court ruled.
During the progress of the trial, Editor Magee
appealed to the people of New Mexico against
the methods uSnd IN conviof hirn-cllah an1iqht-
ened methods as tearing the references to libel
from his law books, refusing him sufficient time
to get new books, trying him before Jurors who
couldn't read and write English. Because of
those protests, he was cited on Is charges of
contempt of court.
And now he has been pronounced guilty on
four OF these citations before the same Judge
who handed down the previous sentence and
against whom his charges of an unfair trial were
made, and given the new sentence. He was
tried without benefit of jury. He was tried by
the Judge who caused the contempt citations,
who showed his attitude in the previous trial.
and who, in passing sentence, made so bitter an
attack on the editor that his malice was uncon-
cealed
Truth of the charges was no issue in the con-
tempt trial-for truth plays little part in con-
tempt law. Editor Magee in short, was convict
ed in advance and had mock hearing before
one man, VINO acted as judge jury ana prose-
cutor.
zach day finds some new extension, some
- new aggression, in the direction of greater
summary powers for the judiciary. Each new
case edges a step further along than the last one
To Editor Magee, on the firing line down in
New Mexico, The Star sends message of good
cheer and encouragement. Temporarily he car
ries the cross, and holds it high; temporarily his
sector become the active one in Americas grow
ing battle to keep the judiciary from wrestling
away the peoples privileges and guarantees.
Citizens who love liberty and value their con-
stitutional rights should watch with deep con-
Germ the progress of his fight.
" y y y r ~ =
CONVICTED EDITOR SAYS
LID VIII KEIND IrIl(