Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-02-07
The Tendency Of Republicsnisn,.

l
II Nothing could more clearly illustrate
] the tendency of the doctrines taught by
the Republican party than the position
assumed by Attorney General Brewster
in the Lottery case in New Orleans. HI
went there as the law officer of the
Government to represent the Post
master General in a question between
the Post-office Department and the New
Orleans National Bank. The question
was whether the Injunction which had
been secured in the State Courts should
j be dissolved, matter for the United
States Judge to decide after hearing
the arguments of counsel. There was
nothing in the case to provoke any ex-
element or to cause counsel to forget
themselves. yet if we may believe Ihe
New Orleans papers the Attorney-Gen-
eral either forgot for the moment the
character of his surroundings, or de-
monstrated clearly the absolute con-
tempt which the leaders of the Repub-
lican party have for forms of law and
those who are appointed to administer
| it. Instead of celebrating the case II
the Government against the National
Bank. and contenting himself with pre-
senting the law and the facts upon
which the Postmaster General had
acted, for the consideration of Judge
Pardee, we are told that he, the At
torney-General, attempted to bully and
browbeat the Judge, declaring that he
/ appeared as an Gdraser of the Court,
! and that the Government, of which
Judge Pardee was a part, demanded
| that the authority of an executive officer
of the United States should be main
tanned against the frivolous attempts of
| local or State Courts to restrict or OPP
pose such authority. It seems that he
| further stated that no Judge would dare
| to enforce this frivolous Injunction, and
that the Judge before whom he appeared
dared not enforce so frivolous an inter-
ference with the lawful functions of an
executive officer of the United States.
The people of the United States have
seen much and heard much of the de-
fiance of law and public opinion since
the advent of the Republican party. but
nothing has yet appeared which can
equal this for arrogance and presump-
ton. Here is an officer OF the executive
branch of the Government deliberately
telling Judge in his own court that he
dare not oppose the authority of an
executive officer; that he is bound to
obey and be governed by the acts of
those in power in Washington, and that
he is powerless to judge for himself
questions of law coming before him, upon
which action had previously been taken
by an executive officer of the Govern
ment! No more monstrous position was
ever assumed by any previous law officer
of the Government, and it almost stag
gers ones belief to give this report due
credence. 1t does not seem possible
fhat hnrouar. GRO hiS nnSi.
ton in the Republican party. could
stand up in this free country and dictate
to Federal Judge what he might and
might not do. Such conduct might
pass in q country where the power of
the Government was supreme, and the
people were vOiceless, but in this coun-
try, where the people are sovereign and
their will is law, it is hard to compre-
bend how such a thing could be possible.
But disregard of law and legal au-
thority is no new thing in the history of
the Republican party. Its whole ca
reer is fnll of defiance of law and alb
solute contempt for public opinion.
The '.insolence of Office has had fire.
quent illustration in the reign of this
party, and it needed not this latest il
lustration to show the people how safe
constitutional power is when lodged in
such hands. For Mr.. Brewster to as
sumo that Circuit Judge could not,
and that the Supreme Court dare not
dissent from his opinion, and to assume
further that no Judge had the right to |
review the acts or question the dictum
of a Cabinet officer, is an assumption |
of party power which can not fail to |
awaken profound solicitude in every
patriotic breast. Step by step the right |
of the citizen to have his liberty and |
protected under constitutional |
guarantees has been abridged and de-
MED, and now in a case involving the
right of a chartered banking concern to
conduct its business under lawful au-
thority, the judiciary to which the
applied for relief from the OPP
pressions of Governmental power is
sought to be muzzled, and it's authority
to afford just protection fatty denied.
If the doctrine of Federalism, which the
leaders delight to preach,
robs the citizen of his rights under the
laws. and aims to regard him as SUBJ
Jet instead of freeman, it ought
not require much argument to in
cline him to seek a wiser method of
government. The citizen. however, is
not, and has never been, considered an
force in our politics since
,he advent of the Republican party.
The supremacy of the Government and
he debasement of the individual is the
meaning of Federalism, and in the time
The Republican party has held power it
las sufficiently illustrated this. Unbri-
He'd license and the tyranny of party has
attended its course all along its history.
Ind the recent illustration fifty closes a
career of most fragrant violation of pub
ic trust and confidence. Heretofore
he Courts were the only Ravens of ref
lge to which the citizen might fly when
larrassed by the expressions of power;
,ut if the bulwark of the Judiciary is to
re broken down for the benefit of Re-
publican supremacy it is high time that
he people of the country looked well to
heir liberties. Steps like this are but
ew removes from despotism; and if the
itizen wishes to secure himself in the |
possession of what privileges
re still left him he should quickly seek
he restoration of a party which recog
liZeS law and protects ALL from the