The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-01-17
GOV. ALTGED ON FEDERAL UsUR.
PATTON.

The message of Gov. Altgeld of Hi
nois, discusses the question of Federal
control in connection with the great
Chicago railroad strike. He also dis
cusses the Federal judiciary in the sub
servience of three or four judges to great
corporations, and its urSurpation of
power, as illustrated in the mprisonment
of Eugene Debs by Judge Woods.
As Gov. Altgeld is an old soldier, one
of our war veterans, and a Jeflersonian
Democrat, who believes in the common
people, his message is worthy a careful
reading.
Gov. Altgeld fully recognizes the doc
trine of Federal control in all questions
of National concern. He says that ques-
ton was settled by our great civil war,
and now stands unquestioned; but, says
the Governor, 1--WE quote from his mes
sage):
at remains to be settled whether we
shall be destroyed by despotism. If the
President can, at his pleasure, in the
first instance send troops into any city,
town or hamlet in the country under
pretense of enforcing some law, his
judgment being the sole criterion, there
can be no difference between the powers
of the President and those of Emperor
William or the Czar of Russia. If the
acts of the President are to stand un-
challenged and thus form a precedent,
then we have undergone complete
change in our form of government, and
whatever semblance we may keep up in
the future our career as a republic is
over. We will have a rapidly increasing
central power controlled and dominated
by class and corporate interests. 1t is
q matter of special regret to many of our
patriotic citizens, says the Governor,
that this blow at free institutions should
have been struck by President who
was placed in power by party that had
made local self.government cardinal
principle for more than century"
This is aimed at President Cleveland,
who ordered q detachment OF the
Federal army, under command of Gen.
Miles, to Chicago during the strike, who
assumed command over the state troops,
in disregard of the protest of Gov.
Altgeld.
On the question of usurpation of pow
er by the federal judiciary Gov. Altgeld
says:
"The usurpation of power on the Ipart
of the federal Judiciary has assumed a
form where it is destroying the very
foundations of republican government.
These injunctions are great convenience
| to corporations, when they can be had
for the asking by a corporation lawyer,
and these were the process of court ia
enforce which the President sent federal
troops into Chicago. Never before were
| the United States government and the
corporations of the country so complete
| ly blended and never before was the
| goddess of justice made mere hand
maid for one of the Combatants.
"This subserviency on the part Of the
Federal judiciary when dealing with cor
porations, followed by usurpation OF
power when dealing with men who have
| to earn their bread by the sweat of theil
brows, is not calculated to produce re-
| spect for the law or its machinery. II
| these conditions are to continue, the fate
| of the American laborer is sealed. He
| must be reduced to the lowest conditions
| of existence. Russianizing government
is an expensive business, and
has never yet succeeded-not even
in Russia. Our government is not in the
slightest danger from the anarchy of 6
mob. Our danger comes from that cor
ruptiou, usurpation, insolence and op
preston, that go hand in hand with vas
wealth, welded by INSCRIPTIONS men
and it behooves every friend Of republi
can institutions to give these thing
most serious consideration"