The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1895-06-06
The Supreme Court Has TrampIed ON
the Rights of tho People.

Springfield, ILL.,, June 2.-Governor
John p. Altgeld is OF the belief that the
supreme court of the United States has
established a dangerous precedent in
remanding Eugene v. Debs and his as
sociates to Jail. He expressed himself
In a caustic manner today regarding
the decision and accuses the court OF
trampling 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
In our history, for it established a new
form of government, that is, a govern
ment by injunction. The provisions OF
the constitution that no man shall be
deprived of his liberty without trial by
an impartial jury is practically wiped
out by this decision of the supreme
court, and the order that ours Is a gov
ernment of law Is at an end, for every
community is now subject to any whim
or caprice which any federal Judge may
practice, and IL the federal judges can
do this, then it will not be long until
the state judges will follow this exam
pie.
For over a century our government
moved along the lines of the constitu-
tion and we became great and powerful.
Life and property were protected and
the law was enforced. Now we have
made departures; the bulwark of lib
erty has been undermined, trial by jury
has been stricken down. For a number
of years it has been remarked that the
decisions of the United States courts
were nearly always in favor OF corpora
tons Then 1t was noticed that no man
could be appointed to a federal judge
ship unless he was satisfactory to those
n -,
York World talked about packed su-
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 to tax the riches Of this country.
Now 1t has stricken down trial by jury
and has established government by in
Junction.
Forty years ago the slave power pre-
dominated. Today 1t 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 confronts
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 it's handmade. Just
see what a 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
| crushing the debtor class and paralyz-
| ing industry; second, the growing of
| that corruption of wealth which is un-
| dermining our institutions debauchng
| our public officials, shaping legislation
| and creating judges who do its bidding;
| third, the exemption of the rich from
| taxation; fourth, the substitution of
| government by injunction for govern
ment by constitution as laws; fifth, the
| striking 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"