Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1895-06-08
4LTGELD SAYS IT IS DANGEROUS $
The SUPREME Court Has Tra1?lplcd OF,
the Rights OF the Dcople


Springfield, ILL.,, June 2.-Governol
John F. Altgeld Is of the belief that the
supreme court Of the United States has
| established dangerous precedent in
remanding Eugene Y. Debs and his as
Socates to Jail. He expressed himself
m caustic manner today regarding
the decision and accuses the court OF
tFampl!ng on the rights Of the people
and being the tool Of monopoly He
| gives his views for publication in a
signed article, in which he says, in part.
The decision marks the turning point
III our history, for it established new
| form Vt government, that is, govern
Maht by injunction The provisions OF
| the constitution that no man shall be
| deprived Of his liberty without trial Dy
an impa1 jfal jury Is practically wiped
out by this decision Of the supreme
court, and the order that ours Is a gov
e1nnlent OF law is at an end, for every
community is now subject 10 any whim
q caprice which any federal Judge may
practice, and if the federal judges can
do this, then it viii not be long until
the state judges will follow this exam
pie.
For over a century our government
moved along the lines Of the c0nstitu-
tion, and we became great and powerful.
Life and property Were protected and
the law was enforced. Now We have
made departure; The bulwarl1 Of lib
@fty has been undermined, trial by jury
mas been stricken down. For number
IT years II has been remarked that the
decisions Of the United States courts
We're nearly always in favor of corpora
tons. Then it was noticed that no man
could be appointed to a federal judge
ship unless he was satisfa ctory to those
interests. over a year ago the New
York World talked about packed s1l-
preme court, and that court has within
a few days rendered two decisions
which unfortunately tend to confirm
this charge. a week ago it did violence
to the constitution and laws of the land
by holding that The government had no
power 10 tax the riches Of this country.
Now It has stricken down trial by Jury
and has established government BY in
Junction.
Eorty years ago the slave power pre-
dominated. Today it is the capitalists
The American people crushed the slave
power and saved our institutions. Can
they rescue them again? Many say
yes, but they have not reflected that the
crushing force which now confronte
them is greater than was the slave pow
er ever was. Capital sits in the White |
house and legislatures. Courts of jus |
tice are its ministers and legislators are
its lackeys. The whole machinery Of |
Fashionable society is its handmade. Just |
see what q brood Of evils have sprung
from the power Of capitalism since 1890: |
First, the striking down of over one |
third of the money in the world thus |
the debtor class and paralyz- |
Gg industry; second, the growing Of |
lat corruption Of wealth which is un- |
dermining our institutions, debauchng \
our public officials, shaping legislation
and creating judges who do it's bidding:
third, the exemption Of the rich from /
taNation fourth, the substitution of |
government by injunction for govern
nent by constitution as laws; fifth, the
down OF trial by jury. Never
has there been so much patriotic talk
as IN the last 25 years, and never were
there so many influences at work stran-
Cling republican institutions"