Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-11-13

what Must be Done with II Disobedient
OuiriaI,

makes the following interesting ana ulne-
" communication to that journal. in the
issue of Friday, Oct. 30
OF all law breaking, official law-Dreak
ing is the most mischlevous ana the most
reurehensibe for, besides its bad exam
nile. it in "A measure disJoints government.
II is. moreover, the most difficult TO pun
ish. for station while it lasts-even in TINS
conntry-is to u certaia extent privilege,
and privilege is protection. Sometimes,
however, retributiOn is prompt and abe
ouate, as in the case of Chief Justice VIM
cent, removed by President Cleveland, so
far as the public Knows, tor mere I'M
proprlety. ,r,;
The motives which incite TO official ms
feusnuce and malfeasanCe are many, nu'
that least TO he tolerated il the one which
svplls the incumbent beyond the measure
of his otfie. 1t may br vanity, 1t may ne
ambition. but Whatever the cause sucn
an official is Il constant menace TO otlel
and regularity. lie Is sure 20 u2 ',T nI
things which he OuGht not 10 90, ana
leave undOnc those things which ne ought
Postmnster-Gcncral Villas has placed
himself within the CGnSure OF oOlh uneSe
charges Something, perhaps his sudden
rise, mas turned his head, or else he never
understood official Obligations, or, under
standing. does not practicc them. lie aI
pears to administer lawaS if, like FalstaII. ,
he Thought thcre Was no virtue eXtahU'
and liIll. Wisdom except in himself.
Public Office IS public trust 50 SAYS
Prr,iGrt,t Cleveland, and the MAXIM Is
accepted. postmaster-General Was, rs Il
Cabinet Minister, is trustee for Congress,
and those vino come within the purNle"
of the laws intrusted Wy it to him Tor eN-
ecution. This trust he has betrayed
Not only has he refused to carry out IL Jaw
coutided to his execution 10y Congress, DuI
he has thwarted it's design and cohtraNeh
ed It's policy He is therefore i'll contempt
of the laW-maklng power. "A prlel 9'''c
meut will show that TINS Is lrhe.
The Constitution gives Congress the
mower to regulate commerce. commerce
is here understood as unit, ana tnl'
grant embraces all the instruments Dl
which It may De cprred ON. CQrftSPo ~,
TRANSFORMATION ul foreign mails Is there
fore a Guty. THIS duty Congress has per
formed from the beginning, IN ue'tiln.
with commerce, Congress has 10y MS law
frequently declared II policy. ~ mas -
cured tup coastlug trade TO our own pee
pie. the building OF Am 'ricau sAipS L
Americans, and done many other inInS
to favor them. In pursuance OF tnl7 Pol'
CIV, Oh the third of March last II appiopi
ated by law for the transportation ul loi
eign mails, including railway trans
across the Isthmus OF Panama Hooo
000.'
Asa lit instrument to eXpend the MOI
ey thus appropriated, 1t authorized vi
Postmaster General TO enter INTO COZ
tracts tor the transportation OF any pan
of said foreign mails, after legal adNe
tisemeut. with the lowest responsible DC
der, at Il rate not exceeding iitty Genus
maui cal mile on the tlip each way aclua
" travelled between the terminal point 5
imitIu. him with the provlso "that u
mail - contracted shall be carried o
America steamships, and that the aE5r
gate o. sich contracts shall not eNce'
one-hall Of the sum hereby appropra
ed" ...
Her-. tbrn. is Il trust for the POstna
tnr.G,.u.rl to execute. Those interest'
are C,u-.lCsS for the people whom 1t re
resru.., uul the steamships winch may
benefited by its execution. Pootmhst'
General Villas has no interest, ana II
had, 1t would confer on MN no ul9cIeIio
1t is a practical law with II PLAIN purpo'
and nor an abstraction fov Mr.. Villas
sharpen MS wits upon.
Whenever the supreme power IN
State. acting with unquestloncd jifiai
ton. enac5 policy lof the pchet;U Vi
own people. in respect to \ business
current necessity like that OF trlhSpo
ing tue mails, aud provides thG rhtt
supervising the terms, ana declares
Instruments by winch alone ii ShtIi
conducted, its authorization 10 carry
that policy i, Il command to ANY SuDot
nate v.,.p may accept the Office or COVE
meul b. a. sham.
This, the orderly jurisprudence OF ey
Government that processes To uPh"ld
supremacy OF the law.
instead of dOiuC The VIII OF congress
carrylrr. out this law, the PosLlnas'
Genera ignores all obligations upon II
self, ana directly cOntraHchtS 'he ~"
the policy of Congress ny engaging
eigu Instead OF American Shlps 10 90
service. He has assumed To regulate CO
which Congress cat
couSigu TO his discretion. 80
Mr. Was is therefore, al war Win
law-makmg power, It, ii, III Gh5c'
saws You have been htnibooHleu
have been made The tool or lobbyists
subsidy LrabbcrS your head mas L
turned by false appeals you 90 not ~
what yoI SAINT nor mean what you
and if yuu do | cannot understand
You have not provided SuiilClenI iheal
carry on The scheme you Indicate
short, there is no end of reasons Tor
obeying you In your fearfully dlsso
state you need guardian, or AT least
benefit Of my discretion. Feeling
YOU appear to me to TO have INVOKE
but if you have not, propose 70 usc
YOU | will, therefore, do notnlhS
YOUR appropriation, nor Will | pay
Sliphtest attention to your authorllt
as to how to spend it. VIII reler
whole work back to you, hoping tnat
may regain your wits ana acC fa itl
In the meantime VIII transport inc
on my own nook.
If this does not put him III contem
the law-making power, what does
can?
What IL mine of special wisdom the
master-Gcneral has ready to explode
tricate himself from this dilemm
course no one but himself knows, blu
nation may feel reasonably sale tn
will not he able to blow away the Ct
tuition, the laws founded upon it, {
main and equally well grounded me
of American Jurisprudence. IT
should be so fortunate as to with
the shock, he will at the END OF TN
turbance still be found in contempt
law-makinG power. .
In this attitude Of hostility he glV'
that he expects the enthusiastic 81
of the members of Congress OF IA
party. If he has this wild dream, h
be rHdely awakened from it.. MI
dali. Mi. Hewitt, Mr. Carlisle, Mr.
rison, AMI statesmen like them, Wi