The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-10-03

I want these Republicans 20 repudiate
Abraham Lincoln" Now this was SIM
ply one Of those tricky evasions for
which Mr.. Bryan has a peculiar talent
The fourth plank Of the Republican
platform OF 1860 declared; That the
maintenance inviolate OF the rights OF
the states, and especially the right ot
each state to order and control its own
domestic Institutions according to Its
own Judgment exclusively, is essential
to that balance OF powers on which the
perfection and endurance VI II politi-
cal fabric depends; and we denounce
the lawless invasion. by armed force
OF the soil Of any state or territory no
matter under what preteNt, as among
the gravest NJ crimes" What were the
conditions that Justified this declara-
ton? The supporters OF slavery We're
seeking to force that institution upon
the territory % Kansas, which was In
vaded by armed bands ot pro-slavery
men from Missouri who went there for
the purpose Of committing lawleSs acts
and did commit them. The national
Observation-Disclosures Buchanan was
presideut-couutepanced this lawless
invasion ot free territory, which also
had the support " the territorial gov
eminent. Against this the Republican
party earnestly protested, justly de-
ncuncing It as among the grayest ot
crimes There Is no possible relation or
similarity between the conditions which
/ justified the %enunciatiou Of The plat
/ form Of 1860 to which Mr.. Bryan re-
ferred and the circumstance which sug-
gested the declaration Of the Chicago
platform. In the one case there was
ed bodies of men for the purpose Of es-
tablishing slavery there by force and
violence. In the other case a military
force, acting under authority of law,
was employed to suppress violence and
prevent the obstruction Of interstate
commerce and the carrying OF the
mails. and this was not done until II
became apparent that the local and
state authorities would not take proper /
action against the mob, 1t is difficult
to treat with patience or to characterize
as It deserves the attempt of Mr.. Bry-
an to defend, in the way he did, the
declaration Of the Chicago platform
against the right OF the president to
enforce federal laws in the states, but
it ought TO suggest to every right-mind-
Ell citizen how hazardous il would be
TO place in the hands OF Mr.. Bryan the
great power and responsibilities OF the
chief executive Of the republic.
Hardly less evasive and impotent is
Mr.. Bryan's defense Of the attack on
the supreme court No rational man
can have any doubt as to what that
Senator Hill. when the plat
form was before the Chicago conven-
ton, said OF this provision that If il
means anything, ii means that it is the
duty Of congress to reconstruct the su-
preme court Of the country. 1t means
the addition Of additional members TO
it, or the turning out Of Office and re-
constructing the whole court" and the
New York senator declared that he
would not follow any such revolution
airy step as that. This is the view that
every great lawyer in this country. re-
CARELESS Of political ~afiliation, has TAX
en- Of it and it is the only rational view.
1t proposes, as was said by ex-Presi-
dent Harrison. Ito destroy the balance
which u fathers instituted in our sys-
tenn Of government, and whenever a
tumultuOus congress disagrees with the
supreme court and a subservient presi-
dent is in the White House, that the
Judgment of the court shall be recon-
sidered and reversed by increasing the
number of judges and packing the
court with men who will decide as con-
gress wants them to-" |.
The gravest danger TO Republican in
is involved in these declara-
Of the Chicago platform and their
unqualified approval by Mr.. Bryan at
tests that he is a most unsafe man to
place at the head of the government
omaha Bee.