The representative., 1893-10-04
USURPATIONS
OF THE COURTS.
The EX.Chief Justice of Minnesota
on the UsurpatiOns of the
Federal Courts.
A Very Important Document
Every Citizen Should Read.

A Very Important Document
Every Citizen Should Read.
We have tried to use the columns
of the REPRESENTATIVE to give the
people information which they could
not get elSewhere;- (which the hire
ling press makes it it's business to
suppress. Among the questions so
discussed we have given a prominent
place to the acts of the supreme
court of the United States, which
have resulted in robbing the people
of their rights and turning this gov
ernment from republic into mon
eyed Oligarchy. We heard some years
since of striking address, delivered
april 1S84) by Hon. Thomas Wilson,
ex-chief justice of Minnesota and ex-
M. c., and one of the ablest lawyers
in the Northwest, upon this topic.
We asked Judge Wilson for a copy of
it, which he was kind enough to send
US. His statements are the more
significant because he is and has
been for years past, an attorney for
great railroad corporations; but he
comes Of strong and sturdy stock,
(the same which gave the nation
President Andrew Jackson,) and he
has an ingrained love of liberty and
hatred of oppression, and hence is
one of the few lawyers in Minnesota
who has risen above the narrow limi-
tations of his profession. 1t has oc-
Cured to u.s. that we could not do
better than give our readers some ex-
tracts from this address.
Mr.. President, and Members of the Bar
of Minnesota:
The fact that the members of our
profession have more voice and influ-
ence than the members of any other
profession or class in the framing of
the laws, has, of late years, not only
been generally admitted, but fire.
quently complained of as an evil
that should be remedied. And, in
the administration of the laws, it
goes without saying that the influ-
ence of our profession is controlling.
In that department not only is our
Jurisdiction original, but exclusive.
[Yes: and the present evils which af
flict the nation are largely due to the
fact that it is a lawyer-governed gov
ernment.-I. d. These great priv
ileges and powers conceded to and
conferred upon us impose the duty
fearlessly and unselfishly to point
out and, so far as we may, counter
act any errors or wrong tendencies in
such legislation or administration.
If we fail in this we have no right to
complain that our influence creates
distrust and alarm. How many
practicing lawyers are there who
have stood up for popular rights,
during the past twenty years? Let
some one make list of them.-I. D.
Indeed, the chief, if not the only, ex-
cuse or reason which occurs to me for
the existence of state bar aSSOcia-
tion is the fact that by organization
we may more effectively make our in
fluence felt in exposing abuses or ad-
vocating reforms in legislation or ad-
ministration. In this paper [ shall
therefore briefly advert to what l
deem most pernicious tendency, at
variance not only with the interests,
but with the constitutional rights,
of the people. / refer to the never
ceasing, ever-increasing tendency of
the federal legislature to subtract
from the Jurisdiction of the state
court and to amplify the Jurisdiction
of the federal courts; and to the like
tendency of the federal courts to as
sumo unauthorized jurisdiction at
the expense of the state courts, and
in disregard of the interests of the
people. The limit of my time will
only permit me to refer to one or
two instances. By the constitution
of the United States it is provided
that "the judicial power (of the
United States) shall extend to all
cases in law and equity arising under
this constitution, the laws of the
United'States and treaties made, or
which shall be made, under their au-
thority; to all cases affecting ambas-
sadOrs, other public ministers, and
consuls; to all cases of Admiralty and
maratime jurisdiction; to controver-
sizes to WHICH the United States shall
be a party; to controversies between
two or more states; between state
and citizens of another state; be-
tween citizens of different states; be-
tween citizens of the same state
claiming lands under grants of differ
ent states; and between a state and
the citizens thereof and foreign