Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-09-03

otdtts auu u cTiino against Tree lustl'
tutions. Mr.. Tillman in his speech
approved this declaration. 1t was
intended to be in words direct con-
demnstion Of Mr.. Cleveland as presi-
dent Of the United States for using
the power Of the executive to brush
out Of the way every obstacle to the
free passage Of the mail trains Of the
United States and the interstate COM
merce. And, my friends, whenever
the people approve the choice Of a
president who believes he must ask
Gov. Altgeld or any other governor of
any other state permission to enforce
the laws of the United States we have
surrendered the victory the boys won
in 1861. [Great applause.
"Once we we're told that a grave
question was raised whether the
United States could pass its troops
through Kentucky to meet a rebel
army in Tennessee. My friends, this
constitutional question, this division
between the general and local author
tiles, is plain and easy one. A dis
turbance which is purely local in the
state is state affair. The president
cannot send troops or lend any aid
unless the legislature calls upon him
for help, or the governor, II the leg.
islature is not in session. But when
law Of the United States is invaded
and broken it is the sworn duty Of the
president to execute it, and this con-
vention arraigns the president for
doing what his oath compelled him to
do. Applause. Comrades for the
great war for the union, sons of those
who went out to battle that the flag
might not lose its lustre, will we
consent after these years that the
doctrine that was shot to death in the
great war shall be revived and made
victorious in civil campaignp [Cries
Of 'No!'] But this assault does not
end there. The supreme court Of the
United States and the federal lower
courts are arraigned because they
used the familiar writ Of injunction
to suppress violence, to restrain men
from breaking the law, and that plat
form plainly means-I will show you
that it was so understood in the con-
vention and In the committee on reso-
lutions-that the Democratic policy
was that when the supreme court,
exercising its constitutional power
and duty, gave an Interpretation to a
law Of thu United States that was
not pleasing to congress, they would
increase the number of Judges and
pack the court to get decision to
please them. Applause.
"My friends, our fathers, who
framed this government, divided its
great powers between three great de-
partments, the legislative, the execu-
tive and the judicial. 1t sought to
make these independent, the one Of
the other, so that neither might over
shadow or destroy the other. The
court, the most dignified
judicial body in the world Applause
was appointed to interpret the laws
and the constitution, and when that
court pronounces decree as to the
powers of congress, or as to any other
constitutional question, there is but
one right method if we disagree, and
that is the method pointed out by the
constitution, to amend it to conform
to our views. That is the position
today. Mr. Hill said in his speech of
this assault upon the court: That
if it means anything, means
that it is the duty of congress to re-
construct the supreme court OF the
1t means'-and now note
his words-'and it was openly avowed
that it means the adding of additional
to it or the turning out OF
Office and reconstructing the whole
court. | will not follow any such
revolutionary step as that You are
to answer then, my fellow citizens, in
all the gravity of a great crisis,
whether you will sustain a party that
to destroy the balance which
our fathers instituted in our system
of government, and whenever tu-
multuous congress disagrees with the
supreme court and subservient
president is in the white house, that