New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-10
ETCPETdRY OLNEY'S ERROR.

Journals Of both parties have commended the
President for his new Cabinet appointment ana
on the whole with reason. Mr.. ONE! has W.
come so familiar. as law officer or me ""'er"-
ment with the numerous questions pchnihg ~"
tween this and other Powers that he Is prcS'lh-
ably better prepared than any other man 10 Jake
I'D the burden Mr. Gresham laid down Inc new
Attorney General. though unknown to poh'icai
life has the hearty encomiums or men dls'lh-
cuishcd at the bar. and will doubtless he ape
to fill the place OF Mr. Olncy with credit TO the
country.
1t is also true as carefully prepared and circu-
lated press notices state. that Attorney-Gcherai
Olney deserves much credit for his capable prose
culion Of Dcbs and other lawbrcakers OF the
American Railway Union. If the President acteu
| in that matter on the advice of Mr.. oney. he
! owes 10 his legal adviser about the most credit
! able act Of his second Administration thus iar'
| The prcparatiOn of cases against those WHO con"
sDirci 10 stop traffic, block the mails ana dei!
all authorities. profc>scdy in the interest Oh
labor. was the plain duiy Of the Attorney
cra and though it does no, appear To nave re-
oured extraordinary labor or legal AFFINITY me
country may perhaps congratulate iisch mat III
one department this Administration was 'ou"'
| ablc To discharge duty with iidelly ana success
But AttorneyGencrM Olncy has record oi II
| different characte, He ii was who rcI'reSoh''"
| the Government in the incomc-tax cases ana lie
| presumably selected and in a measure ihs'ruc''"
| his assistants L is well known that th' argu
| ments ON behalf Of the Government in mat case
| were disigured by one Of the most shaih'i'>>
| appcals 10 dcmagogism ever heard III inc ="
IRENE Court When il was deliberately threat
ened. on behalf OF the Administrations, mat uhe
| Supreme Court Itself would be- swept away OF
oycrpowered by public Indignation. unless II
| twisted the Constitution 10 favor taxation "l INC
| few for the advantage Of ihc many taxation "I
the older and Weather States for III" dement,
Of the poorer. taxation II invested savings Tor
the supposed benefit Of those who nave save"
nothing the eminent ana honorable members "f
,he bar assembled In the Supreme court room
fell that the Nation had been dssraccd by an
appeal TO popular prejudice most unworthy ~
the occasion and the place.
In this d!scredilable performance Attorney
General Oncy and one of his DISTINGUISHING" ~
sistan,s rivallcd each other Inc ir'>"'"'
offered the post II Attorney-Gcncrnl I" mat A.
sistan it is officially announced. ana pr"i"o'''
the Aforementioned 10 the foremost place III
th. Cabinet While the offer was d~lln'd' II
disclosed the wish II the President To reward
a lawyer who had threatened the supreme court
with popular vengeance unless 1t consented '"
the plundcr OF the few for the many MT VI
news threat was not less plain ana not less nlS
crc1it,hle II ough; Ia have dcbarred him from
o,v other most Of honor under the Government
which he SO gravcly msrepreS"n'"d. Yet he
goes 10 the highest post in III" GIT 81 me i'r'~i
dent. AS IL on purpose to show that Mr.. 'lev'lind
wanted 10 have the Supreme Court bullici INTO
submission II possible.
Probably few friends of Mr. Olncy approved
his conduct In this matter. Certainly there were
few genuine Americans who did not feel ASHAMED
Of IT, The Indignant reply OF Mr.. 'hoaic met a
hearty response everywhere. In promoting Mr.
Olney so soon after a grave offence against pun
lie right and public dccency. President 'l'Ve
land has exposed himself 10 Just ana severe crit
lcsm, which will not grow less Stern ms 'h'
circumstances come to be viewed with dispas
Sfn