The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-04-14
MORE ABOUT THE BONDS.

Will the judiciary Disgrace Itself at
the Bidding Of the Bondholders and
q Venal Legislature?
Subjoined are few extracts from q
communication which appeared in the st,
Paul Globe Of Monday:
We are supposed to dwell under and
owe allegiance toa constitution creating
the separate and independent departments
OF State government the acts Of these, to
De valid, must not 1nfract the federal
character MAJ None Can, accept office, swear
allegiance, then igno re the sovereignty,
oe It car, State or constitution. AS the
Judicial power extends to. all cases in law
and equity arising. under the Constitution,
! am not abi2 to believe that commission
or tribunal, unknown 20 that instrument.
can exercise any power over it especially.
in so far as to declare it unconstitutional.
not even the clause requiring the question
OF payment of the so called railroad
bonds, to be submitted to vote of the
people. This bond business passeth all
understanding. To be valid, all acts per-
tanning thereto must be done in q manner
unknown to the law or in violation OF it,
and in utter disregard of the wishes
of those expected to foot the
bill. A Territorial legislature, possessing
no power or authority to do so, aided
certain parties in furthering scheme
whereby they involved and impoverished
the future State.
That a portion of the constitution may
be declared void, the aid of commission
is invoked, the supreme court being uu-
htted Tor, or inadequate TO the task.
Much OF the time and expense incident to
the late legislative session were devoted
to this subject. Why ask, at such cost
an opinion or decision, admitted in al.
vance, to be invalid?
+ Such legislative extravaganza and Judi
cial trifling are a disgrace to any people.
It is reported that our supreme Judges de-
cline to take part in this play Of ssMoney.,
even it there be millions in it," This Is
whit might have been expected from men
Of their approved learning and pro5ity.
IT remains to be- seen whether there be
district judges willing to rush in where
wise men will not tread. AS it is not
probable that our honored and able ex.
ecutive will ask q district Judge to do that
which the supreme court deem to be
either illegal or improper, the State NAV
be spared q futher exhibition of this
farce, at least, while decked in its present
legal ahsardities.
/. These bond agitators have evidently
embarked In q scheme calculated % re-
fleet little credit gnaR themselves or the
State, and il is TO b. sincerely hoped thai
the proposed commission will never 8 xist
The legislature would treat our constitu.
ton with less consideration than is re-
quired to test the validity of the veriest
unconstitutional statnte ever enacted
mere commission is expected to declare a
portion Of it void. Our Judges, trans
formed into commissioners, are being
urged, through the public press, to lay
aside their little scruples and legal qui6-
bles, and raise themselves to the dignity
Of sitting square down upon the constitu-
ton. They are assured it would he a
glorious thing for the State, and that the
people, who are accused Of refusing to
pay, or even recognize the validity of the
bonds, will honor them for such noble and
patriotic action, all Of which appears to
me as untimely as ''snow in sum
mer'' In the earlier days OF
tluence the action Of judges were some
L.
Extra judicial acts art.
cited as furnishing presidents for this
contemplated action, among others the
electoral commission, no case thus far
noted having more semblance to that III
hand, than if said judges were accredited
with arresting q horse thief or harboring
tramp. As the advocates Of the bond
holder are in the precedent business, it
might further their cause to cite one
wherein sundry judges formed commits
sion and overturned the constitution I'M
der which they exercised their functions,
this would be in point.
If the clause in question should be
stricken down, non imprisonment for
debt, and the habeas corpus may soon
share the same fate, especially if the
bondholder, (who appears able to- obtain
such: legislation as he may desire) would
employ our prisons as aids in collecting
his debts.