The Republican., 1939-02-16
Worse Than Packing

York judge who resigned under
charges of having taken money from
interests and individuals involved in
the litigation before him, it is extra
ordinary that so much is said about
the judge and so little about the peo-
lple who gave the money.
49,
Yet, if the investigation substan-
rtiates the facts as alleged by District
Attorney Dewey, then, to the ordinary
man, the individuals and corporations
who bribed the judge would appear
equally guilty and should be prose-
acuted with equal vigor. If there is a
more deadly way of affecting the pub
lie interest than the corruption of the
Judiciary, it is not easy to specify what
1t is.
Ii there is no other way of punish
ing them, the individuals and corpora
GiOns which attempt that sort of thing
at least should be made to feel the lash
of public scorn. Mr.. Dewey asserts
chat Judge Manton received from
agents of one firm-the Dictograph
Products Corporation-$52,0 900 while
its appeal was pending in Judge Man
tons court; that he received $232,00
from agents of the American Tobacco
Company while a suit in which it was
involved was being heard by Judge
Manton; that he received $500 from
"A Brooklyn banker, John L. Lotsch,
prior 10 a favorable verdict for Mr..
Lotsrh on an extortion charge; that he
received $4,000 from Harry M. War
uer, of Warner Bros. Pictures before
Ia decision favorable to them in Judge
lManton's court in a patent case.
%&*
1t lis said that Judge Manton's res
Ignation, which was announced by the
Department of Justice and accelerated
sDy the President, will not shut off the
investigation. Apparently he cannot
NOW be impeached and there is doubt
whether by reason of the time limi-
tations, he can be proceeded against
crlminally. Perhaps the same thing ap-
plies to those who did the bribing. But
at least in SO serious an offense all the
facts should be brought out and, if the
evidence proves the charges, the coun-
try is entitled to know beyond doubt
mot only that the judge was bribed but
gFho did the bribing. There should be
mo sneh thing as closing up this case
until the whole business has been COM
pletely sifted.
1t is certainly vital that no Judge
whose personal integrity is seriously
questioned should remain on the bench,
but it is equally vital that those who
conspired to corrupt him-however
willing he may have been to be cor
Iupted-should be so arraigned, ex-
posed and condemned as to make such
1hings so painfully Improbable that
ghey will not occur again. In other
words, no matter what happens to the
Judge in question, the companies, law
yers, agents and representatives who
conniVed in what, if Mr.. Dewey's
G5narges are proved, is a particularly
sinister business, in that it strikes at
the basic belief Of the people in the
justice and probity of their courts
2hese should not be permitted to es-
cape unscathed.
Two years ago the people of the
generally were deeply stirred
land profoundly resentful of the effort
of the President of the United States
30 dominate the Supreme Court by
packing that body with creatures of
his own selection. They were right to
be stirred and completely justified in
their resentment. However, there
seems every reason why the same peo-
pie should feel the same way about
men and corporations charged with
giving large sums of money to a Judge
before whom their case was being
1sried.
Bad as packing a court may be, buy
2ng judge is considerably worse.
There is no excuse for those who be-
came excited about the first remaining
calm about the second. That it is a
lower court and single judge does
mot affect the essential facts. At least
5Shere was no question of financial
ecrookedness about the packing. In
the light of the Dewey charges, one
would think that if there is an expla-
nation or defense, the individuals and
corporations mentioned by the District
Attorney in this case would be anxious
80 present it fully to the public. They
would not want to rest under this kind
Of charge a minute.
Governor O'Conor announced that