The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-11

IL any Judge had declared such doctrine as
the senator from Maryland (Mr. Gormsn)
spoke Of, it would be reversed by the SUI
prene court OF the United States without
one dissenting opinion againSt its reversal
Such q doctrine would be mOnstrous.
Mr.. Butler understood that one Of the
points decided at Toledo was that the court
had a right to en1oin employees OF a rail-
road corporation from combining in such a
way as 20 obstruct the operations OF tho
road. That decision seemed to have gone
very much farther than the courts had gone
heretofore. lie understood that that was
the object of the inquiry proposed in the
resolution offered some days ago by the
senator from Indiana (Mr. Voorhees,.
MIR. Brice inquired more particularly as
to what Mr.. Vest understood TO be Judge
Speer's decision and was told that Mr.. Vest
simply understood it 20 be an exercise of
the ordinary jurisdiction Of acourt over the
actions OF a receiver appointed by it.
SLAVES TO CAPITAL.
Mr. VOORHEES, said that his attention had
been called few mornings ago to the recent
decisions of Judge Taft and Judge Ricks,
and that those decisions had prompted the
resolution which he had offered. He was
satisfied that the interstate commerce act
went farther than any one supposed It did
at the time Of it's passage. He had read
Judge Speer's decision In the newspapers
He thought, however, that the fault was
in the law, and perhaps In the will
ingness and eagerness of federal Judges to
construe the law in favor of corporate power
and against the laboF OF the country. The
most dangerous question that the country
was fearing to-day was the encroachments
OF corporate power, OF colossal wealth
against those who were helplessIy in its
power and whom It wanted to have chained
to their labor as completely as the galley
slave was chained TO his oar. This power
claimed that the railroad employe was en-
listed as a private soldier; that If he left
his post he was to he punished as a deserter.
When an issue Of that kind was presented
the country had reached the point where it
became senators to halt.
DUTY OF THE SENATE.
: He heartily responded to the sentiment of
the senator from Maryland MIR. Gormau)
Gs TO the grasping power Of the federal
Judiciary, but thought that the Senate
ought first TO clear its own skirts and ought
to see 10 it that no law remained on the
stetGte books which punished an in
dividual laborer for leaving the
employment Of the corporation whenever
he choose to do so. He had therefore felt il
his duty to introduce a resolution directing
an inquiry as to what action might be neces-
ing people of the United States in their
natural and inRlienable rights aud for
their greater security from the en-
croachment OF corporate powers.
Nobody pretended thot railroad
engineer could leave his engine, endauger-
ing q train OF cars and endangering the
lives Of the passengers. But that was not
all that was contemplated in the interstate
commerce law. That law said IN plain
terms that be could not alone aud IN al
orderly way sever hfs connection from 4
corporation; that he was enlisted TO stay
and was TO be punished as deserter If he
did not stay.
A DIFFERENCE IN JUDGES.
He (Mr. Voorhees, had only this to say
in regard to the judiciary, that when bad
laws are enacted, when mistakes are made
some judges are glad to mitigate those laws
and 90 show no pleasure in their enforce
ment; but there wore other judges who
grasped after power, who loved power foI
its own sake. and enforced it rigidly. JEFF
fersOu, the great apostle Of popular liberty
in this country, foreseeing that danger, had
once said that the federal Judiciary
we're the sappers aud miners Of con0ti
tutional liberty, and, Mr.. Voorhees, added
80 they are, such of them as have a gr reedy
thirst and hunger to enforce the laws OF
i
that the committee on interstate commerce
cannot be better employed than in inGuir
ing into this dangerous question.
PLATT REsENTs THE CRITICISMS.
Mr.. Platt did not feel that the criticisms
passed upon the judicial decisions referred
to were we'll taken. They seemed to be en-,
inently ressonab @ and in plain purpose oi
good law aud common sense. The
real true laboring man of this country
desired to engage in no organization
or association, or to be guilty Of any aci
that would affect disastrously the oper.
ations OF trade, aud no greater injury could
be done to him aud 60 his cause than by in
temperate appeals TO him TO defend any
fancled right to engage in associations or
organizations calculated to do public injury.
lr was not wise, MIR. Piatt went on to say,
to attack the judiciary OF the United States.
10 was not wise to charge the judiciary with
desiring TO usurp power 1t was not wise
to intimate that the judges were czars II
was not wise to talk ebout the disposition OF
the judiciary to reduce laborers TO the con
dltion OF serfs; to talk about
laborers being chained to their oars.
The Iaboring man had confidence in the
courts aud he would be protected in all his
legsl rights. But he Mr.. Platt did not be-
lieve. and the laboriug men did not believe
that while engaged IN the employment OF
common carriers he could choose his own
time to leave that employment Mr. Plat
apprehended that no lsboring man, whether
he belonged to q labor organiza-
ton or not, would set up that
right; and therefore it was not true
as a matter of law that the employe could
always quit the service of the common car.
rier. just when and how he might quit
that service aud under what circumstances
no would not undertake to say. That
might safely he left TO the courts. II the
courts had made any mistake in the recent
decisions the supreme court Of the United
States would set IL right.
The debate was continued by Messrs.
Butler, Hoar, CUllom, Sewall aud Chandler
and then the question went over till to-mor.
row when Mr.. Palmer will have the floor
TO speak upon it.
Mr.. German moved to 20 into executive
session.
Mr.. Hoar antagonizsd the motion, and
called for "a division. The vote stood: Yeas
-, nays TO- This was not u quorum, and
the Senate adjourned.
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