The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-01-24


matter then being proper subject for
Legislation, tho fitness of the means
proposed becomes the next subject OF
consideration. Upon this we beg leave
to submit Il few brief observations. In
all just governments both' public and
private rights must be defined and de-
termined by the law. This is essen
tial to the very idea of such govern.
ment, and is the characteristic dis
tinctiOn between free and despOtic sys-
TENS. However important it may be
whether one citizen or another shall
be Chief Magistrate for a period pre-
scribed, upon the just theories of civil
institutions, it is of far greater mo-
ment that the will of the people, law
fully expressed in the choice OF that
officer, shall be ascertained and carried
into effect in a lawful way.
It's true that in every operation of a
government the laws, from the most
trivial to of most important, there
will always be a possibility that the
result reached will not be the true one.
The executive officer may not wisely
perform his duty. The court may not
truly decide the law, and the Legisla-
ture may not enact the best law; but
in either case to resist the act of the
Executive, the Courts or the Legisla-
lure acting constitutionally and law
fully within their sphere, would be to
set up anarchy in place of government.
We think, then, that to provide clear
and lawful means Of performing this
great and necessary function of the
government in a time of much public
dispute, is of far greater importance
than the particular advantage that any
man or party may, in the course of
events, possibly obtain but we have
still endeavored to provide such law
full agencies Of decision in the present
case as shall be the III
MOST FAIR AND IMPARTIAL
possible under the circumstances.
Each OF the branches of the Legisla-
ture and the. Judiciary are represented
in the tribunal in equal proportions.
The composition OF the Judicial part of
the commission looks to q. selection
from different parts of the Republic,
while it is thought to be free from
any preponderance of supposable bias,
and the addition of the necessary con.
stituent part of the whole Commission,
in order TO obtain an uneven number,
is left to an agency the farthest re-
moved from prejudice from any exist
ing allowable one.
II would be difficult, if not impossi-
BILE, we think, to establish tribunal
that could be less the subject of party
criticism than such one. The prin-
ciple of it's construction is so absolute
~ fair that we are unable to perceive
how the most extreme partisan can as
sail it, unless he prefers to embark his
wishes upon the stormy sea of unregu-
lated procedure, hot disputes and dan
gerous results, that can neither be
measured nor defined rather than upon
a fixed and regular course of law, that
ensures the peace and order of society,
whatever party may be disappointed
in its hopes. The unfortunate circum
stance that no provision had been made
on the subject before the election, has
greatly added to the difficulties of the
committees in dealing with it-such as
that many Of the people of the coun.
try, members of the respective pOliti.
cal parties, will perhaps look with jeal.
Ousy on any measure that seems to in
volve even the probability of the de-
feat of their wishes but it has also
led the committees to feel that their
members are bound by the highest duty
in such case to let no bias or party
feeling stand in the way of just, equal
and peaceful measure for extricating
tho n11ocfinYo from f1,n hnr o,>k
that at present surrounds it. In con-
clusion we respectfully beg leave to
impress upon Congress the necessity
of a speedy determination upon this
subject. 1t is impossible to estimate
the material loss the country daily
sustains from the existing state of un-
certainty.
1t daily and hourly tends to unsettle
and paralyZe business; to weaken pub
lie and private credit, and to create
apprehensions in the minds of people,
that disturb the peaceful tenor of
their ways, and their happiness. 1t
does far more-it tends to bring re-
publican institutions into discredit,
and to create doubts of the success of
our form of government, and of the
perpetuity of the republic. All con-
siderations of interest, of patriotism
and of justice unite in demanding of
the law-making power a measure that
will bring peace and prosperity to the
country, and show that our Republi-
can institutions are equal to any en-
Urgency; and in this connection we
cannot refrain from the expression of
our satisfaction that your committees,
composed OF equal numbers Of the op-