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Show UTA1I JUDCiKB. A suit is in progress at Salt Lake, which has significance as a contribution contribu-tion to tho history of tho corrupt era io our politic?. Thomas J. Drake was a citizen ot Pontiac, Michigan, till he became associate justice of tho supreme court of Utah salary $2,bU0 a year. Having held his place three years io March, 1SG7, and having lees than a year more to w;rvc, the problem was to make the mot of it. Now there was a needy genilemau by the name of Strickland, Ubed 1, who wanted an oiliee. In fact, to quote an interesting inter-esting narrative in the form of a private pri-vate letter higned by Drake, he was "destitute." "Attorney general Hoar had told him ho would give him an otiico if there was a vacancy." Strickland, Strick-land, like nature, abhorred a vacuum. He highed for ooo to abhor and to till with his person. He offered Drake $2,800 to resign his place and let him into it. He proposed this to Drake in the presence of Titus, now chief juttco of Missouri. It doth not appear that Titurt remonslrated. At all events, in a few days Drake decided to take it, and wro.o a promissory note, promising pro-mising to pay $2,8U0 in installments of $700 ouch, extending from October 1, 1S69, to January, 1871, or about fifteen months. This was after Strickland had been appointed and confirmed, but the trade had boon previously agreed upon in its details. When ho a.ikcd Strickland to sign the note, the latter said if he lived ho would pay it, but if ho should die he should regret to havo his wil'o and ohild sunk from poverty into bank-ruptey.and bank-ruptey.and a olauso was added limiting tho force of tho obligation to his lito time. And now he refuses to pay tho ' Erst oent, and Drake has to sue for it. Drake, in his letter, whioh is addressed to George U. Bates, a well known western west-ern lawyer, is of course deeply painod at tho wickedness of Strickland. "I should bo glad if you could bring the rascal to terms," ho observes, with noble indignation. "If there was any villainy in the transaction, it was wholly on his part." Of course. There was nothing unjudicial in soiling out lor $2,800, bin hold on an annual salary of that amount for six month?. Strickland Strick-land has since found another plaoo, we suppose, as his name is not on tho list of present United States judges in Utah. Drako, instead of "going into law practice in Washington," has ro-tircd ro-tircd to Pontiao. Those are tho men who havo represented repre-sented federal justice in Utah, and they aro tho olass of men who have always hold office in the Territories. When they get kicked out of place thore.they ; generally gravitate back to Washington, Washing-ton, and enter tho army of claim-brokers, claim-brokers, strikers, lobbyists and offico-seekers. offico-seekers. In a few months they sink into welcomo oblivion, only to emorgo after a campaign, in which they have "worked," as oonsuls to distant hca-thon hca-thon lands, Indian agents, commissioners commission-ers to Vienna, or agaia Territorial officers, with the privilege of putting the awe-inspiring J. after thoir names. Springfield Republican. |