Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-05-28
DECISION VS.. DEBS.
No Habeas Corpus for Amer
lean Railway Union Men.
JUDGE WOODS RULING SUSTAINED

the National Supreme Court with Unan.
imity-The Two Questions Decided and
Extracts from the Argument Thereupon
Tho Strike Leader, Through the
Clouds, Sees the Star OF Governments
Ownership.
WASHINGTON, May IS 1t is not i'm.
probable, in view of the decision Of the
supreme court, that Ecgene V. Debs and
the other officers of the American Rail.
way Union now under indictments for
violations Of the antitrust and the mail
obstruction acts will not be called upon
to stand trial Under the decision Debs
will serve his sentence of six months in
Jail, and it is thought that the govern.
ment will consider this sufficiently Sc
we're punishment without prosecuting the
criminal cases against him or his associ-
ates. The principle involved having been
established, by not pushing the further
proceedings it will be shown that the gov.
eminent does not entertain any revenge
full or vindictive feelings against Debs,
the American Railway Union, Or any
other reputable labor organic ,tion.
Olney Not Averse to Organized Labor.
Attorney General Olney. to whom more
than any other man is due the suppress
sion of the Chicago riots and restoration
of interstate traffice to its normal condi-
ton, has in all his official relations shown
his earnest sympathy with organized
labor when the objects sought to be at
tanned were lawful. AS in evidence Of
this fact it will be recalled that during
the tendency of the contest between the
Reading railroad and its employees, where
in the company sought to establish its
right to discharge any emplOye who
should join railway mems union. Oiney
unsolicited filed with the court a brief in
which he stoutly maintained the right OF
the men to associate themselves togethe Z
for mutual aid and protection and de.
clared the action of the railroad company
repugnant to the American idea of civil
liberty and justice.
The Questions Presented to Court.
The opinion of the court was in sub.
stance as follows: 1.-The case presented Is
this: The United States, finding that the
interstate transportation of persons and
property, as well as the carriage of the
mails, is forcibly obstructed and that a
combination and conspiracy exists to sub
ject the control of such transportation
to the will of the conspirators applied to
one of their courts, sitting as court Of
equity, Cor an injunction to restrain such
obstruction and prevent carrying into
effect such conspiracy. Two questions OF
Importance are presented:
~. Are the relations of the general gov
70 Svnf1 ckotD nd he
transportation of the mails such as au-
thorize a direct interference to prevent a
forcible obstruction thereof
~. II authority exists, as authority in
governmental affairs implies both power
and duty, has q court of equity the juris-
diction to issue an injunction in aid Of the
performance Of such duty?
Uncle Sam and the Citizen.
"What are the relations Of the general
government to interstate commerce
and the transportation of the mails2 They
are those of direct supervision, control
and management. While under the dual
system which prevails with us the powers
of government are distributed between
the state and the nation, and while the
latter is properly styled government OF
enumerated powers yet within the limits
of such enumeration it has all the at
tributes of sovereignty, and in the exer'
else Of those enumerated powers acts di.
rectly upon the citizen and not through
the intermediate agency of the state"
Pith of the Document in General.
The pith Of the opinion is stated fairly
as follows: The strong arm of the ma.
| tional government may be put forth to
brush away all distractions to the free.
| dom Of interstate commerce or the trans.
| portation of the mails. II the emergency
arises, the army Of the nation and all it.
| militia are at the service of the nation t.
compel obedience to its laws. In the pres.
ent case the right to use force does not
exclude the right of appeal to the courts
| for judicial determination and for the
exercise Of all their powers Of prevention.
Indeed, it is more to the praise than to the
blame Of the government that instead Of
determining for itself questions of right
and wong on the part of these petition
ers and their associates, and enforcing
| that determination by the club of the po
liceman and the bayonet Of the soldier, i,
submitted all those questions to the peace
| full determination of judicial tribunals
and invoked their consideration and judg
ment as to the measure of its powers.