Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-06-04
Shall the United States Courts be
Closed


Ever since the Democratic party has
been in complete possession of both
Houses of Congress its leaders have
proceeded upon the theory that Gov
ernment in this country is mere piece
of party machinery, with no other aim
or purpose than to subserve class of
men who are seeking to control the dis
irritation of taxes as spoils among their
retainers.
The present Congress has been in
session altogether about ten months,
and during that time it has not matured
a single measure for the promotion of
public Interests. Worse than this, it
mas actually failed to provide for the
proper support of such working depart
ments of the Government as lie outside
the scope of political machinery, and
this in spite or the enormous surplus
revenue which is accumuating by rea-
son of the reduction in the interest
charge, etc.
The Democratic party leaders set out
to repeal the Election laws, or to so
cripple them as to render them inoper-
ative, in order that the bull-dozers at
the South and the roughs of the North
ern cities might have full swing at the
approaching Presidential election. This
unworthy and dishonest party purpose
has been kept steadfastly in view ever
since it was adopted rs u policy. The
Democrats of the last Congress refused
to pass the requisite appropriations for
the judicial service of the Government
because they could not carry out their
notification project. The President
called an extra session of the present
Congress in order to perform the work
which the old Congress had deliberately
neglected. At the extra session there
was persistent but futile effort
to coerce the President into an approval
of the proposed notification, and, when
that attempt failed, aa adjournment
was taken without approprlating the
pay for the Executive branch of the
United States judicial system. The
perversity of the Democratic policy was
emphatically condemned by the people
in the elections of 1879, when the work
of the extra session was in issue. The
Democrats were defeated everywhere.
Notwithstanding this pointed rebuke,
the Democrats renewed their efforts at
notification at the regular session.
They delayed for months to vote the
accumulated deficiency in the pay OF
the United States Marshals, and then
passed the bill with political rider
which was sure to call out an Executive
veto, as it did. And there the case
stands to-day.
During the year in which no supplies
have been furnished the United States
Marshals have shown patriotism which
would not have been expected from
them if they had been Democratic Office
holders. They have performed the
services required of them without any
compensation, and without any assur.
ance that they would ever receive pay
which depended on the vote of a Demo
cratic Congress. They have also made
personal advances for the necessary
expenses of holding court. Blu
the limit of patience, and il
many cases of the individual
resources of the Marshals, has beer
reached. Mr.. j. w. Chapman, tn,
United States Marshal for Iowa, ha
notified the Attorney-General that
after serving several months withou
pay and advancing something like $40,
900 for the pay of other Court officer
and necessary expenses, his resource
are exhaused The Attorney Genera
is helpless. He can only thank Mar
shall Chapman for his past devotion t.
the public service, and repeat that h
himself has over and over again di
rected the attention of Congress to tn
injustice of Withholding the necessar
supplies, and the injury that woul
unquestionably be done to public in
terests. The United States Court i
Iowa must be closed with full an
importalt docket of litigation that de
mands settlement.
What has occurred in Iowa will 500
occur in other sections of the country
The United States Courts will of neces
sity close unless Congress directs tn
. pay of their officers, and tn
public who pay so dearly for tn
support of Government will SUI
fer losses amounting to million
, of dollars by the ineXcusable della
, in litigation. This would be ba
!. enough if it were the unavoiC
,, able result of an insufficient revenue
but it is infamous when the Unite
States Treasury is oyerrunning wit
money, and when it is brought about
assist in the perpetration of partisa
, wrong. 1t may be that the nullifiel
.. will be brought TO their senses by tn
: actual imminence of the necessity fo
: adjourning the United States Court.
, and will now seek 90 make a tard
atonement for the wrong and inj&r
they have put upon the public. Eve
if they shall do this now, because the
dare not longer fly in the face of publ
indignation, the people will not forge
5 that justice in the Courts, which is ce
: tainly the first claim the citizen hi
, upon Government, has been retarde
and in part denied in order that I'll
0 Democratic majority might urge II
e notification of laws for the protectio
s of honest elections. That was from I'll
2 first, and is now, the only pretext fc
5 withholding the necessary authority
0 pay the United States Marshals an
: keep open the United States Court
v Never before was so outrageous
h scheme attempted through such inc
: cusable methods by any political part
Y Chicago Tribune.