The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1870-03-24
Nulii6cation ard Reputation in
H-
~ - q.

erabIe interest to the word outside that
State. Il is the Cd controversy between
state and federal power. We dLd the fol
| loving statement Of facts in one IF the Chi
cago Pagers:
Lee county, Iowa, voted al issue Of certain
county bonds IN aid OF 9 railroad. 4 citizen
/ took the matter before the Supreme Court Of
Iowa, which :ourt affirmed the validity Of the
bonds. Similar proceedings in other counties
resulted in ike affirmation OF the validity Of
| the bonds. Six year. later. when the couu-
| ties, cities and towns, unable TO pay interest
I On principal, repudiated the debts, the Su-
/ preIne Court OF Iowa reversed all its previous
/ decisions, and decided that there never had
/ been any authority in the Legi lature TO sane
ton any such debts, or TO authorize majority
| Of the people to mortgage ana tax the property
Of others for the benefit Of private corpora
! tions The holders brought suit on the inter-
| est coupons, and these suits had been carried
| to the Supreme Court Of the United States,
| That court adhering to rule Of seventh Years
standing, that the decision of the supreme
! Court OF q state is conclusive as t. the proper
| constructioa OF the State Constitution and
| laws and that inasmuch az the Iowa Supreme
/ Court pronounced these bonds to be valid, the
| holders were entitled to recover upon them.
gave judgment accordingly. The cases were
| again taken up, and the changed judgments of
the Iowa court cited; but the Supreme Court
| Of the United States held that, as the bonds
! were purchased for value, on the faith of an
| existing judicial decision, the subsequent
opinion OF the Iowa court could not invaldate
them. Judge Drummond. Of this district Ito
whose court this case had been transferred D.,
year or more ago, by Haau9amas, directed
the supervisors of Lee county to assess the tax
and provide for It's collection. That bod. sub
seQuently voted not to do so, pleading an in
junction II state court. Judge Drummond
thereupon Issued an attachment against the
supervisors. and they We're arrested by the
marshal. Judge Beck, Of the Supreme Court
/ OF the State, by hdJeGS corpus. brought the su-
peryisors before him aud discharged them.
This action of Judge Beck was subsequently
reviewed and reversed by the full bench OF the
State, and the supervisors were remanded to
the custody Of the marshal. They were, how
ever, allowed TO go on parole, until such time
as they could act officially, and they have since
assessed the required tax, and provided for its
collection.
At this juncture Judge Tracey, of Lee
county, has granted an injunction restraining
the County Treasurer from enforcing the col
lection Of the tax from unwilling taxpayers,
thereby practically multiplying not only the
judgment of the supreme Court Of the United
States, but that Of the Supreme Court Of Iowa.
1t has not been very long incc the Attorney
General OF the State intimated, IN public
speech that if there were no other way 10 de-
teat the enforcement of he judgments of the
United States courts, the people would refuse
voluntary payment of the taxes, and. III case
the marshal proceeded to sell the property,
70 persons would be found bold enough 10 pur-
chase it. But Judge Tracey has not waited
for such an emergency. He has interposed
his injunction restraining the tax collector
from any proceedings against the property Oh
which the tax has been assessed.
The individual issue here in its general
features, is that which agitatcd Wisconsin
in the Booth case Iowa takes he side
Republican State No State assumes to
back Congress in its efforts to eenralze
the powers Of the nation with more zeal OF
with greater majorities than Iowa. IL
this spect she IS subsorylentt TO every de
mand. Not only this, she is loud uouthcd
in danouncng Reputation and enthu. iasti(
; in the support Of all congressional meas
u.on 1Ui Peg ing Iue creditors OF the IcucTa
government premium on their advance
and greed. And yet, when the fedora
courts insist that she shall obey tlcig clear
ly lawful and equitable manda.cs, the PEG.
p!o aid sia;c courts Of iowa adopt all tn,
secession arguments o: JEFF. Davis and viz
tualIy engage in rebellion against tht
government. This is The consistency W
may expect in ali cases from the mem Der.
of this political school, when the burden:
Of supporting the federal government are
brought directly home to their own fire.
sides.