Altgeld Despairs
Spbisgfibld,, Hls., Juuo 3. - Governor John P. Altgekl is of the belief that the United States supreme court has established a dangerous 'precedent in remandIng Eugene V. Debs and hia friends to all. He expresses imself in a very Baustic manner rega'Aing the docision, uccuses the court of trampling on the rights of tho people and being the fcool of monopoly. He gives his views for publication in a signed article,in which he says In part: "This decisión marks the turning point in our history, for it establishes It uew form of govermnent never beforo heard of auiong men; that is, governmeut by injunction. The provisión of the constitution that 'no man shall be deprived rif his liberty without trial by an lmpartial jury' is practically wiped out by this docision of the United States supremo court, and the theory that ours is exclusively a govermnent of law is now at an end, for evory community is now subject to obey any whim or caprice which auy federal judge muy promúlgate. Talk of a "Packed" i-upreine Court. "And if federal judges can do this, then It wlll not bo long until state judges will follow this example. For over a century our government moved along the lines of the constitution and we became reat and powerful - life and propuity were proteetBd and law enforced. Now we have mado a dcparture; the bulwark of liberty has been undermined; trial by jury has been stricken down. For a number of years it has been remarked that the decisions of United States courts were nearly all in favor of corporations. Then it was noticed that no man could be appointed to a federal judgeship unless he was satisfactory to those interests. Over a year ago the New York World talked about a packed supreme court, and that court has within a few days rendered two deoisions which unfortunately tend to confirrn this charge. Defiuition of the Income Tax Opinión. "A week ago it did violence to the constitution and laws of the land by holding that the government has no power to tax the rich of this country. Now it has Btricken down trial by jury and has established 'government by injunction.' Forty years ago the slave power predominated; today it is capitalism. The American people crushed the slave power, and saved our institutions. Can they rescue them again? Many say yes, but they have not reflected that the crushing force which now confront? them is greator than ever was the slave po .ver. Capital sits in the White Houoe aud legislates in tho Capítol. The cou:t of justic nro its ministers ;'.nd tlio legislaturas rvre its lackeys, and the whole machmury of fashionnhu societ7 is its handru iid. A "tiiood of Evils" Kiiumerare-Ï. "Ju3C see what a brood o evil has sprang trom tho power of capUnliRinsince 187U: í rst-, the staking down of over one-ihird of tiie money of (he world, thu3 criKiiing the debtor class and paralyzing im-ustry; sacond, the growing of iaat corrupt use o wealch wh'ch is undermining our institutions, debauching public officials, snuping legislation and creating juilgea who do its binding; third, exon;pnon of the rich f rom taxation; fourth, substitution oi government by injunotion for govornmeut by tho constitution and laws; flfth, striking down the trial by jury N )v:-r has ihere been so mucíi patriotic tai!: as in tb u last twency-fiM years, and never were there so mny lulluences at work strangling republican institutions."
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Ann Arbor Argus
Old News