Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-04-11
WILL THE LAW STAND
The Senate Discusses Tsft and
Rck's Decisions.
PsfFEaA AND coRmAN DISAGREE
The Pviactls,s oe she LAw oHppHsssd
and AssAcked--The SsaAse
IhAdy D Adtoara


d~c.sina - Judges Taft and Racks In
ONO and Judge sp.er IN Georgia IN re-
istion % the rights and dutl.s % rail
road employees came up IN the senate to-
LAY. in connection with q resolution in
strueting the committee On interstate
commerce a. inquire into that and other
SUBJECTS Also shefher any modsfca
tons should he made In tae lAw con
e~rasng the relations b~t~-en common
carriers snd their employees
Mr. PETER spoke IN support ~ tho
Resolution. he expressed the hope that
the cosamiitee on Interstate commerce
would tsxs bold - the question without
gloves and treat 10 on the priaclpl- that
the wofkingman - On an equality with
the man of capital. and yhai a railroad en-
ploss has Inst as sacred rights A. the em
ployer has. tie thought that Judge Rick :
recent d-cgaon. which has been a good
elesl criticised by labor organizations.
sOg.d b~ approved ty them when they
came q, understand better its seof~, AMI
g. view II IN ali its tuiln-se. lt was the
hfSt grea, declaration Il principle con
ecrnIng the relations between employers
snd employees. II was a declaration that
a railroad enpioye vas A. much a com
ni1n carrier a. the railroad president or
the director The decision. Mr.. Pefier
believed would Lead Ia the final ADJUST
mcnr u all the difficulties between the
employers aEd employees ~ carrying
corporations. The resolution was ~
ferr,i 10 the committee on contingent
expenses.
Coru,au Calls Them S~rfA
Mr. Harris offered a resolution for tho
appointment II a committee Il two
--nators to Wait upon the president IL
the United States and inform him that
unless De nay have some further com
uiunicatlon % make. the senate is ready
a. adjourn without date. Agreed to.
Subsequently, Mr.. Hnar moved Ia re-
consider the vote, and the motion was
entered
Mr Gorman sand the recent decision
that employees might be restrained by
an order from the court. might be tined
and imprisoned II they resigned their
pr-itiOn. was a mo-t extraordinary de
cision. and one that had to be met at
ia. vrry threshold II the next congress.
II ought % oe inquired into carefully by
men Who had but one motive. and that
r-ts % cUmm-rcei that no Injustice was
done u individuals and that the courts
IL the United States should not be
armed with powers as arbitrary as those
Of the C<ar % Russia
Mr. Piatt said tia, be had not s~cn IN
The jecisisy referred to. anything that
lonkel like usurption of power by fhc
courts. or that koked like degrading the
workingmen - tho country Ia the con
uition ct ssrfs
Mr fioar remarked that the anti trust
law SIMPLY extended 90 the commerce of
the United States the principles az coin
mon ia~. - that h. WAS quite certain
that uo such doctrine a. that appre
hendc.i by the senator from Mary land
would b. warranted 10y that aS.
V-s, Cribs Gorman
Mr. Vest thought u unfortunate that
that matter should have come up Tor
discussion Every lawyer knew how
unsafe IL was % take newspaper state
msnls % Judicial decissons. He bad.
Tor instance. t.en startled u see IN the
Washington Post that great revolution
bal taken place. On reading the text
n Judge Sp,er's decision he had found
that " did not ~ all bear out the head
i1gs. that Judge Spser bad only affirmed
O. - what every lawyer knew to he the
coumon law lie had decided that any
contract or regulation Ia restraint ~ fhe
commerce % the United States was al
siatcly void. that any engineer had a
right o. give up his employment. but
that when the Brotherhood - Lpcoulo-
tive Engineers. or any other association
or corporation undertook to make a rule.
and ~ enforce it in restraint % com
mercc. that ruls Wa absolutely voil
There was nothing startling or r-volu
tiousry IN that n any nudge had lie
cisre,i such doctrin. a. the senator
frou Maryland spoke -. Il would te 70
versad nv he supreme court - the
United States without one dissenting
orinion against iis reversal Such a
doctrine would % Donstrous.
yprb.,.--' Views.
Nr Voorhees, -asd that his sttention
bal been ralled Few mornings ago Ia
th. recent d.cislou- q Judge Taft and
Juig., Eick= sBd that tho.e decisions
bal prompted the rrsolation which he
Rad offered ne sss satisfied that the
interstate commerce. act went further
than any one supposed IL did At the
time uf ifs p9~@-EN I've hatf rsst y J1fiEe
Sceers decizson to-day. Tie thought
however. tha, the fault Wa in the Law
and perhaps IN the willingness
aud esgsrness ., fe,leral Judges
- rtnafrne the lss an favor
q corporate power and against
The labor = the country The 1icst
dangerous question that ne co.ntry
sss facing tosisy Vas the encroachusent- -
% corporate p1ver. q Cr,io@ssl vealsh
against thn=- who we're hciplc-sly in its
power tie heartily responded % tho
sentiment n ths SENATOR from Maryland
81 a. ID. grsrptng gu~er - the federal
judiciary. bat tnnavhf that the .sns's
suzht irut - clear - ovu streets ard
.night 90 sr- ~ q that no las rensined
nn The statute honss shieh punished aa
',,afvrlsgal lst.srer &c having the I'm
t.ioy-nenf - a corporation sheHev"r he
chose o. to -A
Continued rcsssv
The debate VA c,nttnne.l Nv Seca'or
Ru-lrr ant Chznsil.sr and the sBe~, issl
went over until iosnos-os shen Nr Pal
me- sii hsee .h- s.ss - -p~ak spnn q
NJ BisezhuYn frfin the eslFn mtsfe~