The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-08-23


Judge Thomas II. Cooley. Of Ann
Aybor, Mich, 10 president began its
seventeenth annual meeting hero this
morning. The president being absent
bv reason Of illness, his address was
read BY tho acting president Judge
samuel r. HINT, Of Cincinnati. 1t was
very lengthy, and communicated the
most noteworthy changes in statutory
law on points Of general interest which
have been made in the several states
and by Congress during .hs preceding
wear. Tho address continued as follows:
Tho year which has elapsed since the
last meeting 10 In some very striking
particulars one Of tho most notable Ia
he history Of the country, and l think
I cdnnot moro usefnlly occupy your
time than by inviting your consIdera.
tion Of some Of tho phases Of social and
public lito which, In constitutional
point Of Wow, appear 10 merit notice:
They have O bearing upon tho vital
principles Of our political institutions,
and seem 10 Indicate a necessity for Te-
viewing the work Of those whom NO
have been accustomed 70 admire and
respect rs tho founders ofliberty in tho
western world, and for considering and
Judging for ourselves whether tho
structure they created, aud which has
hitherto boen the admiration oil tho
vorld In worthy OF tho praise II has re-
colved. The experience Of tho year has
taught us, II we needed the lesson, that
times may and will come when the fact
that for a century political institutions
have had beneflcent operation, and tho
excellence of their principles has
seemed unquestiouablo to those who
have enjoyed them, may perhaps be no
longer accepted as conclusive evidence
Of their consistency with true liberty or
With the highest good Of FREQ people.
Tho carless or Interested criticism Of
one whose political following seems 10
ho disconnected with whatever OF gov
eminent now exists may suffice to put
our constitutional structures under sus-
picion, and the cutlery Of persons who
not unlikely arc so now to our country
thnt they speak imperiectly its Ian
puagc and cannot read clause Of Its
constitution, may DO enough to ralao in
tho mind OF one who courts their favor
doubts, real or pretended, whether tho
freedom wo arc supposed to enjoy Is
more than nominal.
When such timo oomos tho most
fundamental principles may DO 10 need,
not merely OF tacit acceptance, but oil a
defence that shall consist In active aud
aggressive warfare upon thoEe who in
disorderly or unconstitutional ways as
sail them.
TIE coxEY BUSINESS.
! shall FIRST refer TO that extraordt-
nary spectacle witnessed early In the
year Of considerable bodies Of mon col.
lected In various sections Of tho coun-
try. under tho leadership Of persons
who assumed military titles, and who
proposed to march upon Washington.
Tho Thought actuatine tho movement
was that the country Of their birth, or
which they had selected TO live In,
owed them tho duty to SEQ that tho
means Of support wore provided them,
and that the government must perform
this duty. No attention seems to hnVo
been paid by them TO tho apportion:
rneut al mowers between the statos and
the general government The states
yere passed unnoticcd, though to one
familiar with our institutions 1t was
nlaln enough that the duty insisted
upou, II IL existed at all, must rest upon
the states, and the armies marched
directly upon the national capital to
demand the action Of tho general gov
ernmonk
These vagrant bands marched across
the country to the great detriment OF
its industries. While they pretended
TO represent tho doctrine that tho gov
ernmont was under obligation to pro-
vide for its people the means whereby
a comfortable living might DO had,
they found sympathizcrs among those
temporarily ont Of employment and
also among other well meaning people,
who had OF the true functions OF gov:
eminent only vuguo and unsettled
notions. They caused unreat every
whore, aud as they represented notions
which are antagonistic to tho existing
social and political state, they were
everywhere q public danger.
THE RAILROAD BOYCOTT.
During tho summer Just pas. the
country witnessed a great and disas-
trous boycott aud strike Of railroad
werkmen. Tho cause was not any con-
troyersy over thoir own wages, or about
their treatment by their employers; IT
was n sympathetic movement, 90 called.
One question fairly Arising and which
has hitherto received but slight atton.
ton, concerns tho rights, legal ana
equitable, OF those who wore to DO Ill
iected, and raisoa tho question whether
undor principles supposed to prevail
wherever FREQ government exists. tho
strike as against thom could be iully
jua,iied without careful consideration
Of its probable effect upon their inter
cs.s being first had, and II practicable,
au opportunity given them to urge rea..
sans from thoir own standpoint. against
its being entered upon. underatand
yory woll that in the case Of tho
ordinary strike or boycott entered upon
for tho purpose OF redroSSing on GSlst-
ing wrong or to prevent ono when rs
threatened, tho case Is TO considerable
extent different. Such case partakes
Of the nature Of self defence, and Incl
dental injury 10 third parties, II 1t 10
unavoidable, 10 excused on that ground;
Bu. thero was nothing Of tho nature oil
self defence hero. But in this c9so In
nocont parties who must necessarily sui
for not only had no opportunity to pro-
test, but their losses were not taken into
account az against the boycott. and
strike. On tho contrary they were look
cd upon as favorable features, since
they rendered success moro probable.
Il IL had IN