Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-04-21
DEPRECIATING THE SUPREME
COURT AND THE C0NSTl-
TUITION.

DEPRECIATING THE SUPREME
COURT AND THE CONSTI-
TUITION.
THAT the chief tribunal Of the
nation is gradually losing the rev.
erence OF the people is too plain a
sign Of the times for any mistake TO
be entertained concerning the lam
entable fact. Every decision rem
dered by it which is OF doubtful con-
stitutionaliiy must necessarily have
that effect. OF such a character is
the judgment in regard to the Idaho
test oath. We observe from the
public journals that attorneys in
different suits are citing it as an
authority in cases in which there
is an opportunity for insisting upon
an application OF its purport. Dis
customs arise during which the I'M
constitutionality of religious test
oaths and acts that inflict political
disabilities on the ground Of religious
belief, is clearly delineated. The
Supreme Court inevitably suffers
from these legal contentious, the
untenable character ofits conclusion
in the Idaho matter being plainly tx
hibited.
No source of authority can gain
or retain the respect Of the people
by mere virtue Of its power. That
condition Of sentiment is the sole
result of the proper and just use Of
the authority with which it is in
vested. The highest court Of the
nation is no exception to the rule.
One OF the most striking symp-
toms Of depreciation Of the U. S.
Supreme Court is that which has
arisen among the farmers of Mime
sofa over a decision rendered in
what are termed the granger cases.
The Judgment practically shelves
the Minnesota Railway Commits
sion.
The executive committee OF the
State Farmes' Alliance, which
represents over $4,000 farmers, met
in the early part of this month, at
St Paul, and passed the most re-
markable set OF resolutions ever
adopted in this country. They are
terribly denunciatory, and by way
Of spreading the feeling the commit
tee ask all the Farmers Alliances
in the country to join with them in
a National Convention looking TO
the abolition Of the Supreme Court.
Following are the resolutions:
WhereaS, 1t is reported by the daily
press that the United States Supreme
Court has recently decided in case
appealed from this State that the Rail
road Commission Csnd infereniially
the State Legislature) has no right or
power to prescribe rates for transpor-
tation on the railroads Of the State or
20 do more than establish prima facie
reasonable rates, each detail 10 be
fought over in a succession Of courts.
with interminable litigation, thereby
practically nullifying or reversing the
great decisions of the same court
made some years since in the granger
cases; therefore
Resoluei, By the executive commit
tee Of the State Farmers Alliance.
speaking in behalf OF $1,000 farmers
OF Minnesota. that we regard the said
recent decision as one Of The greatest
injustices in the history Of our coun-
try and as signIfying the subsection OF
the people and the Safe to the uDlim-
tied control Of the railroad corpora
lions OF this country.
ResolUed. That we appeal from this
second bred Scott decision 70 the peo-
pie Of the nation and we ask them to
consider whether any other race would
submit to have their liberties thus
wheeled away from them on techni-
caliiies by a squad Of lawyers sitting
as supreme authority high above
Congress, President, and people. We
call attention to the fact that the citi-
zens Of England, from whom we have
largely derived our form Of govern
ment, would no: permit for one in
slant a bench OF judges to nullify an
act OF Parliament. There the people
are properly omnipotent. No civilized
government on earth has ever con-
ferred such powers upon any court as
are by our Constituli5n granted TO the
United States Supreme Court. In our
anxiety 10 protect the rights Of prop
erty we have created machinery
that threatens TO destroy the rights Of
man.
Resolued. That copies Of these reso-
lutions be sent by our secretary to the
alliances Of the several States OF the
Union with the request that they
ellse win Us IN an enort 70 so amend
=. 49, - -. -.
- -, ..,.tr;-t,oJ -
t,r the henefit q, cornora,s wealth
and 10 make it SO pla,n that the peo.
pie are masters in this event that no
court. however shallow or corrupt,
shall ever again attempt to subjec;
them 10 the domination Of the artificial
they have themselves
created
hes'''ea' mat We recommend the
,i o. "a , convention oy 'he al
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