The St. Johns herald., 1891-01-08
Legal Confusion.

and selfish end is invariably driv en to the necessity of telling a dog en or more falsehoods to cover uE the original one. In the end he l: bound to be detected in his lies, for it follows as the memorable logic oI truth. The same principle applies in political action, when to serve some personal and selfish ends false issues are raised, law is violated and justice is tempered with. The Daniel is certain to come to judge ment. To serve the personal and selfish ends of a lot of schem1ng bankrupt politicians, with Clark Churchill as their leader, the ses- sion of the 18th Legislature of Ari- zona in direct violation of law was extended over "sixty days dura- tion." To give office to a lot of place hunters this miserable subter- fuge was restorid to, the law ignored and a crime committed. It was at- tempted to be justified through the courts of law, and the attempt was partially successful. Judges Kib- bey and Sloan held that the lan- guage of the s. statutes which de- clared that the legislature should be limited to ''sixty days duration" was not binding on the 18th Legis- lature, while Chief Justice Wright non-concurred, and held that it was binding and that all action of the legislature after the expiration of sixty days was null and void. The Republican Attorney--General of the United States, Mir. Miller, also held as did Chief Justice Wright, and through the Secretary of the Interior, Mir. Noble, notified Speak CT J. Y. T. Smith and President Charles R. Drake that any leglsli tive action after the expiration of sixty days was illegal. In spite of this authoritative opinion and di- rection of the U s. Attorney General and Secretary of the Interior, the session, under the advice, counsel and imperative demands of Clark Churchill, was prolonged. Demo cratic officials, hold by tenure of law, were ruthlessly displaced, and republicans, claiming office only by virtue of the illegal extension of the legislative session, were substituted in their places, and confusion and disorder reigaed sumpreme. What mattered it to Clark Churchill and  the Wolf1ey place hunters, only so they could get into the public treas ury and draw salaries if the law was violated and injustice done? Such men always reason, that the end iustifies the means" but now the evils of such wild legislation and narrow judicial opinions are being manifested. The "inexorable logic of truth" IS forcing the exposures. Judge Kibbey, to be consistent with sshis first opinion which eiected Strauss as superintendent of public instruction, and placed Cheyney in his office, was forced to hold that all bills which failed by not having executive signature and approval within ten days of the sixty day limitation were also valid and good laws. One of them was an act increasing the number of grand jurors to seventeen. It was dug out of the musty pigeon holes of the governors office after elec- ton to serve g partisan purpose, and Judge Kibbey held it with all others, in like condition, valid. As a consequence the grand jury had to be discharged and all indict- ments found by them ignored, the old judicial machinery for admin istering of criminal justice discard ed and the new substituted, The Sunday Rest" bill, which was dead, was touched by the magic wand of Judge Kibbey and given life. Over fifty good, honest law