The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-05-28

| management. While under the dual
system which prevails with US. the
| powers of the government are distrib-
uted between state and nation. and
while the latter is properly styled q
government Of enumerated powers. yet
within the limits Of such enumeration.
IT has all the attributes Of sovereignty.
| and In exercise OF those enumerated
powers acts directly on the citizen.
and not through the intermediate
agency of the state.
Second-Under the power vested in
congress TO establish postofIices and
post roads, congress has. by "A mass OF
legislation, established the great post
office system of the country with all
Its details Of organization, its ma
chinery for transactions Of business.
defining what shall be carried and
what not. and the price Of carriage.
and also prescribing penalties for all
onenses against IL. Obviously these
powers given to the national govern
ment over interstate commerce ana in
respect to transportation Of mails one
not dormant and unused. Congress had
taken hold OF those two matters and by
various and specific acts had assumed
and exercised powers given 20 It. and
To regulate interstats commerce and
carry mails. If tho Inhabitants of
single state or great body Of them
should combine 10 obstruct Interstate
commerce or the transportation Cf
mails, prosecutions of such oifenses IN
such community would De dI"mcd in
advance TO failure. And II certainty
Of such failure was known. and the ma
tonal government had no other way %
enforce the freedom OF interstate COM
merce and the transportation Of mails
than by prosecution and punishment
for interference therewith, the whole
interests OF the nation in these respects
would be at the absolute mercy Of a
portion of the inhabitants of a single
state. But there is no such imp1tency
In the national government. The entire
strength Of the nation may be used TO
enforce. I'm any part of the land, a full
and free exercise OF all national powers
and security OF all the rights entrusted
by the constitution to its care The
strong administration of the national
government may be put forth TO brush
away all obstruction To freedom OF in
terstate commerce or the transparta-
ton OF mails. II emergency arises. the
army OF the nation and all its militia
are at the service Of the nation to COM
pei obedience to the laws. In the case
before us, right to use force does not
exclude the right of appeal 10 the
courts for judicial determination and
for exercise of all their powers Of pre-
vention. Indeed. It is more TO the
praise than To the blame Of the gov
ernment, that instead of determining
for itself questions Of right and wrong
on the part OF the petitioners and their
associates, and inferring that determi-
nation by a club OF a policeman and
the bayonet Of a soldier IL sumbitted
all those questions to the determination
of judicial tribunals and invoked their
consideration and judgment as to the
measure Of the rights and powers and
corelative obligations Of those against
whom 1t made the complaint And II
is equally to the credit of the latter
that the judgment Of those tribunals
was, by a great body of them. re-
spected, and the troubles which threat
ened so much disaster terminated.
Neither can IL be doubted that the gov
ernment has such an interest in the
subject matter as enables IL 10 appear
as plaintiff i'm the suit. II is said that
equity only interferes for the protection
of property and that the government
has no property interests. a sufficient
reply is that the United States have a
property i'm the mails, the protection
OF which was one Of the purposes Of
this trial