New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-20
4 GOVERNNENT OF LAW.

The capers of Mr. Samuel Cox are not always
a proper subject for serious discussion; but
when he rises in the House of Representatives,
70 express the contempt of his party for the de-
cisions of the United States Supreme Court
and is cheered to the echo by the other Demo-
cratic members, and commended the next day
by the party newspapers, he becomes for the
moment-grotesque as it may scientific author
lied spokesman of great political organlza-
ton. He declared that he would not accept
the Judgment of the Court; he knew" that
the election law was unconstitutional; he did
not care what the Court said about 1T he
awould not place the Supreme Court, as now
spacked, partisan, demOralized, above the pop
aular branch of the Legislature of the coun-
@try.n The House appiauded this vulgar pro-
clamation of defiance. Mr.. Mcmahon had pre-
viously said something almost as bad; and IN
deed the Democratic majority has been practi-
cally busy for more than year endeavoging to
assert the supremacy of the popular branch
aof the Legislature of the country" over the
judiciary and all other departments of the Gov
eminent
When we say that the course of the Democ-
racy is revolutionary, we are not INDUCING in
rhetorical exaggeTatiOn, but stating plain
truth. The question at Issue here Is whether
we shall have a government of law or gov
eminent of irresponsible faction; whether the
Constitution and the distribution of powers es-
tablished by it in the Government shall be held
sacred, or passionate and reckless majority
in the popular branch of the Legislature"
shall he suffered to usurp all the functions of
the State and to set aside Constitution, Courts,
and President by show of hands. The deter
mination that the Legislature shall know no
law but it's own will has been avOwed on more
than one occasion and if this country is not
to become a second Mexico the manifest ten
denotes of the Democratic party ought to be
arrested without delay. A California legislator
EXPRESSED them tersely the other day when he
exclaimed in debate, in answer to an objection
against the validity of certain proposed meas
ures that the mandate of the people [mean-
@ing the faction to which he Belonged was
Gabove the mandate OF any court" We do not
know what this gentleman called himself in
politics; but his principles are those of Mr..
Samuel Cox.
Tie attempt of the Democratic majority in
Congress to override the law in the matter of
Federal elections is made without the slightest
concealment. The Democracy found a statute
on the books which they disikcd because it
gave Federal authorities the power to protect
the polls. They could not secure votes enough
to repeal the law, and thereupon they threat
ened to stop the Government by Withholding
appropriations unless their dcmon were com
piled with In accordancs with this menace
they did adjourn without voting the supplies
and the extra session was the consequence. An
indignant public opinion obliged them at last to
abandon their unconstitutional enterprise, and
the funds for the general purposes of the Gov
ernment were reluctantly appropriated. Now
the Democracy resort to a new mode Of attack.
They could not repeal the law they were con-
fronted with strong affirmation of its consti-
tutionality by the court to which the ConstItu-