The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-08
An UNRIGHTEOUS USURPA.
IION.

THE JUDGES CRASHING ALL POWER.
Judge Segraye Smith has granted
new trial in the case OF The State
against the ShevliE-Carpcnter COM
pany to recover for stumpage. A YER
dict in favor of the state to the
amount of about 50, 400 was returned
by tie jury, and this was deemed by
Judge Smith to have been excessive.
minneapolis Tribune.
We might just as we'll abolish the
entire system OF trial by jury, and
give the whole administration of JUS
tice into the hands of tile Judges.
And yet trial by jury" has come
down to us since Magma Carta and
King john: it is one of our hereditary.
inalienabie rights: but in this country
it is being rapidly whitfield away to
nothing.
In the foregoing case it was charged
that the Shevlin, Carpenter Company,
had gone onto the state school lands
and 'tohen," without warrant of law,
or authority from any one, lot OF
pine trees, probably the only valu of
the .land) belonging to the unborn
generations of children of this state;
and our Pine Land Committee, Of
which we were chairman, investigated
it; and suit was brought and jury of
their peers decided that the amount
taken was worth $4,000. And then Ia
worthy, little, baid-headed gentleman,
who was accidentally elected by the
votes of the people of Hennepin cOun
ty, and who didn't know any more, be-
fore he was elected than hundred
other lawyers of Minneapolis, and who
does not know any more now: wipes
out their verdict with wet sponge;
and tells them to go at it again. ham,
mer and tongs, at large cost to the
county.
Now why would it not have been
just as we'll to have told that jury to
go home, and thus saved their fees:
and said to Judge Smith:-"See here,
great man, how much do you think
that pine was worth?' And the
Judge, after consulting with his
friends. might have replied $50; and
thus Justice would have been done:
and the next day twenty men would
set out to cut down some more Of the
children's pine trees; and thus self
government would be justified to the
whole earth.
For remember it was not a recon-
dite question Of that tumble of tech
nicalitieS, precedents, tricks and alb
surditieS called ldaU, that was at stake,
but simply:-how much of the pine
was carried off the public land by that
enterprising company of lumbermen,
and what was it worth? And surely
twelve intelligent men, taken from
the whole body of citizens of Henne-
pin county, were as we'll able to judge
of that as any bald-headed lawyer be-
tween here and Jericho.
There has been a gradual eating
away of the rights Of the American
people and the teeth of lawyers have
had great deal to do in the work.
They have been as Industrious as a
lot of beavers, and their incisors have
been just as sharp. And the result is
| that law, when it alta cks rich thieves.
| is as powerless as dish-water, and a
subject Of laughter; and another re-
suit is a profound contempt for the
admins tration of justice, on the part
of the people; and a resort to moh-law
and violence; until Judge Lynch has a
great deal more business on his docket
than Judge Smith; and he does it
much more expeditiously; and nobody
alleges that his decisions have been
affected by any improper influences.
| Free-silver is not the only thing
that should be put back on its ancient
basis. The whole spirit Of our modern
age is cold blooded knavery and rot.
ten corruption. 1t leaks like an old
ulcer and stinks to heaven. 1t needs
the surgeons knife more than poul.
tices. l. D.