The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-10-23

believe it the duty Of Congress to ~
independently and establish the value
OF c in as it existed prior to 1873, when
silver was demonetize1.
| desire to say u lew words upon the
encroachments OF Federal courts upon
the constitutional rights of the Pc pie
OF late years the United State, jtdges
have a>sun e jurisdiction they would
not have dared to exercise in the Z .r-
lier days Of the repab ic. They now
claim the right 10 determine the cX-
tent o. their .urisd lection aud cnforcs
such uraerS a they think proper 20
make. These Fedora Judges. like sap
pers and mlcers have for " as lent
~ and steadily enlarged their n, is
diction. a Il unless che ked by legisla.
tlon the. will soon undermine the very
pillars of the c n-titution and bury
the liberties of 1as people beneath
their ruin
lowest any nan or Sc. o. mca WITH
authority t. iete mine the extent Of
their powers and TO enforce their de-
crees Is of the very essen Q OF Iespot-
III. Fede al judges now claim the
rlgt,t 10 take possession OF and run the
IA lroaus OF the country. To issue in
unctlons without n, tic. and to punish
Tor contempt by nne and Imprisonment
any one who dispu their Authority.
congress some years ago passed an
act limiting the powers of Federal
Judges to punish for coatem ITS, q &c t
such Il arc c mmittc III their presence
or by uiIIccr' oi their courts or III dis
obedience of some lawful order. Eut
what protection does This afford tho
eli on when tho very Federal u Judge
who Issues the order passes upon its
legality,
Il is TO he hoped that Congress when
it meets Will put some check upon led
e"al Judges in assuming control of
railroads and issuing bl .nkct injunc-
slons and punt hing people for con-
tempt of cir assumed auth rity. II
thu Congie - does not do Ii trust the
people Nill zee u it that represent
atives are chosen hereafter who viii.
For the Suprem Coart of the Unit Il
States. | have the greatest re p CT. II
has always boon presided OK er by great
lawyers and great men. but even it is
not omnip tent or infallible. tt sc;ne-
times make mistakes, AS it did in tho
bred Scott case, when 1t decided that
man of African descent &, uld not sue
for his tree .Cm in a edcral Court: but
the people. who in this country arc
the sovercigns above all courts. COR
rected the error and decided not only
That man of African descent could
bring suit in Federal Court. but that
he was entitled to al other rights be-
longing to man.
The court made another mistake
when it decide! that corpot ate priv.
leges. when granted and accepted. be.
came contracts which future egi Ia
lures could neither alter nor repeal
without the consent 0. the ,orpOrators.
but this error it subsequently correct
ed it.elf in an opinion written by the
late Chief Justice Waite, a purer man
than whom never sat upon thu bench.
VIII rein it was held that all chartered
companies ami monopOlies en- aged in
business Il Getting the public We're sub
Ject to public contrO..
AT the conclusion of Judge Trum-
bulls remarks the audience went
wild with enthusiasm. 1t died out
and started anew three or four times
ietorc Mr.. barrow could get an OPP
portnnity to introduce the next
speaker.