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Show H ' I,, i I,.. ..,.... i . 1 1 .-. - -... Stringent Measures Necessary H The action of Judge Humphries of the Super- H ior Court of Seatcle, Wash., in sentencing scores H of persons to jail for contempt of court, has Hj caused his action to be bitterlv denounced in some I, places and criticized in others. It is quite prob- Hj able that he acted hastily in some instances but H' to a person looking at the situation in a wholly H' ; fair manner it will be readily admitted that there H was ample' occasion and demand for stringent m action of some sort H The Socialists and others had defied the state HI . laws of Washington and the city ordinances of H Seattle which prevented street speaking and when 1 the court over which Judge Humphries presides H' was called upon to. restrain the offenders from H further breaking the law he promptly issued in- H junctions to prohibit them from further speaking H unless authority to do so should be granted by the Hj proper authorities. Immediately following this H action a "defiance" petition was circulated and H generally signed by the adherents of the speakers H by which the signers agreed to ignore the injunc- H tion of the court. H The result was that the District Attroney H . brought the offenders before the court on citia- H tions and they were charged with contempt. Hi There is no denying that every mother's son of Hi them was as guilty of contempt as it would be H, . possible for them to be but the judge was no H' doubt rather harsh and indiscreet in his language H to them. They each had the right to appeal from H the decision of the court if they were not satisfied H with its rulings hence were not deprived of their H liberty or placed in danger of being deprived of H it without the right to have their case reviewed HW ' by the highest court in the state, the Supreme m Court. B ' The improper effort on the part of some of his H' colleagues of the Spuerior .Court to grant writs of H, habeas corpus came very nearly resulting in cons' con-s' verting the court into a farce and bringing it into H contempt with all the people of the state. The B persistent efforts of certain organizations to defy H . tho laws of cities and states has reached that H point where harsh means must be employed to H, restrain them. The majority of the people do not H relish being imposed upon by a small minority H and so long as the latter attempt it they may H expect trouble. If in the course of the struggle H the courts are called upon to take a hand they H should not be blamed and especially where a body H of persons who have not hesitated to defy the law H persist in abusing the courts. |