THE LIQUOR JUDGMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 18, 21 July 1898, Page 4

THE LIQUOR JUDGMENT.

♦_ It is much to be regretted that Mr. Kenny should have allowed his persona] feelings to run away with him to the extenl he did when delivering judgment on the liquor case yesterday morning. Most rightthinking people will agree with him in condemning the "employment by private organisations and private individuals of spies and informers to decu3 r others into the commission of crimes." It is a pjt\ that a man of Mr. T. E. T'lylor's powers and promise should descend to ruch sorry lactict—tactics which are bound to be condemned in any fair-minded British community — ami nothing Out public contempt can be meted out to the individuals who voluntarily offered their services in this shady crusade It does not matter how good the end Air. Taylor may have thought he had in view, his methods showed a total want of tact nnd an ill-balanced sensp of proportion, and for his own sake, as well as that of the party he represents, it is to be hoped that the doubtful experiment will * not be repeated. In spite of this, however.. w# cannot find any justification i'oi the animus shown iv the Magistrate's judgment, and must regard the suppositions he insinuated against the defendants as an abuie of the judicial atmosphere of a Law Court. He was only there to find judgment according to the facts before him, and not to spin web.of hypotheses calculated to prejudice the character of men who had not committed a crime against the laws. The suppositionswere in no way necessary ;is explanations of his decision, and however right as a matter of private opinion should not have be.m uttered with the sanction of a legal judgment.