The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1892-02-27

SPOONER'S GREAT ARGUMENT
ON THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLE.
Republican Eeeiprac.ts s-GiorioUs Faces
and Fsurrs-B! ainc No ia Candidatc-
Wool :tni Eeyanue-t Stniy in Tin
fIate Prices.
Elaine Not ~ Candidate.


The certainty that the foremost ri,i-
zen Of the country Will rot be the next
PRESIDENT Of the Jnited states. and the
presumption that lie will never occupy
that great office. cannot fail to 03ilict
multitude of his lelIOW-cltlZtEs with a
keen sense Of personal grief.
Having reached this determination,
Mr.. Blaine shows his native slga"ity
and loyalty in the time and manner OF
its announcement. His letter to Mr.
Clarkson Is cXpHcitaud conclusive. He
says not merely that he is not /. candi-
date, but also that his name will not go
before the convention. Ike means to
end now and finally the uncertainty
which has been felt 10y the leaders and
the masses Of the Republican party.
Had the possibility that he might
be willing to accept the nomina-
ton remained, Whlr also the belief was
common that his health or his diein-
cilnation would interfere, the party
could not have concentrated its ener-
gies for the impending conflict But
tins decisive announcement, a. the
right moment anu with the right i'm
pulse. opens the ways for harmonious
ami fruitful ACTIVITY. What we have
said already should be repeated here.
that Mr.. Blaine has had a perfect uuht
TO allow his name to be used in c1nn"g-
ton with the presidency while holding
the office of secretary OF state. and n
body has pretended TO doubt bis right
except IN the silly hope OF producing
discord i'll the Republican partr ten.
Harrison and Mr.. Blaine have had no
misunderstanding on that subject.
They have appreciated the matter in all
its relations.
Those who are most reluctant to lose
the satisfaction of voting for Mr..
Blaine will cordially ackn edge
that the President deserves the urdi-
videi confidence Of the party, and that
he has made the election Of a RepUb!i-
can successor the most encouraging
probability of the present year. And III
common with all lova members of the
party they will be apt to reason that this
probability can be most securely con
tirmed by his nomination to succeed
himself. The party has put great and
benetcent policies in operation dur
ing the last three years, and the
welfare and content which they have
Gus features Of the time; but the c0un-
try does not vet enjoy the full measure
Of prosperity which they are capable OF
engc ndering.
In accepting as final AIr. BIainc's de-
termination not 10 be a presidential
candidate, tie party. and, we believe,
the whole country, viii Su!l hope TO
have the benefit for many years to
come OF h!s invaluable services in =
public station. His knowledge. sagac.ty
and experience his comprehensive, url-
derstanding Of the American people
and American institutions, and his fer
vent patriotism, are a national posses
sion which must not be diverted from
the service of the ~nltlon.-.Nl~ loft
IribuHe.
Col. Spuoner's Mastery Argument.
Probably one Of the ablest arguments
ever made before the supreme court OF
Wisconsin WAS THAT of ex-senator
Spooncrs in the gerrymander case,
which came up for Argument on the 9Th
instant. at fully" says the state Jour
nal, Sustained the high reputation Of
that learned advocate, and gave renewed
evidence of his right to the title OF one
ofthe abest constitutional lawyers Wis
consin has produced, as he is recog
nizei among the leading lawyers of the
country ON the propOrtioEate
representation clause IN the or
dinanCe oi l7S1. Col. SpOoner
remarks are we'll worth Il careful study:
"What utter folly 10 argue in tins day IN
the highest court OF the state upon
which our constitution cOnters original
jurisdiction IN matters pH6Lict JUrtS, that
IN the passage of an apportiOnment bill
or any other bill involving the exercise
of legislative power the limitations OF
the constitution are ropes OF sand, and
that the Legislature Is a constitution un-
10 itself. This court took original iuris
80, ira e (,A
Attoraey-General W. Eau Claire, to
protect the sovereignty of the state and
the public interest against the invasion
under an unconstitutional enactment
by that city Of the navigatIon Of the
Chippewa River at a point where 1t h9d
never been nayigable except for the
floating Of logs, and where its waters
had never been NeXed hE the
keel of any craft larger than
the canoe of the Indian or the
batteau of the luInberman, mainly
upon the ground that by the ordinance
of 1877 engrafted upon the constitution,
jhe state held that river under trustto
the general government, and under COM
pact. to maintain it forever tree. II has
seemed to me that IN perception, fore
sight and wisdom the great ordinance
of l7S7 is 10 be ranked with the COHsti
drawn and enacted by men imbued with
the spirit of the revolution, who thor
understood and appreciated the value of
personal and religious liberty, the I'M
portance Of popular education and the
principle that government should be of
laws, not Of men BY article of that
great charter, upon which was based the
government Of the territory of the
Northwest. from which has sprung so
many great commemorative, 1t is pro-
yidcG:
The inhabitants of the said territory
shall always be entitled 10 the benefits
of the writ Of habeas corpus and Of the
trial by jury, OF a proportlonatc repFe-
sentatiOn of the people III the leg!sla-
true, and Of judicial proceedings accord
ing TO the course Of the common law.
These men, fresh from the revolution,
conscious Of the injustice of taxation
without represe entation, stipulated in
this great charter a compact as solemn
as any ever signed by man, that along
side of the writ of liberty and the right
of trial by ones peers and of Judlc-
ial proceedings according to the
course OF the common law, which
they had been taught to believe
was the perfection of human wis
dom. there should be forever
maintained for this people, that other
level, 'proportionate representation
Of the people in the legislature %
that when the architects OF our cOnsu-
tuition drafted the provisions relating 10
apportionment and represe ntatlon, they
wrought not simply under the imPulse;
and duty 10 preserve and protect and
perpetuate this essential element of
REPRESENTATIVE and republican govern
mpDt hut thew Obeyed the Obligation of
solemn compact This provision of
the ordinance Of I751 stands unrepealed
in its obligations; the trainers of the
constitution recognized it, and did their
lest to secure it TO the people forever.
The question now Is whether the cove
nant can be broken and dishonored
without redress. That the supreme
court Of this state in the exer-
else Of its original jurisdiction
will use the prerogative writ OF
Injunction to protect the sovereignty OF