Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1896-08-28

Not amid such surroundings as that, not
creet tbings done that will cnmmena them
selves to the judgment of the American
people. lApplause) They denounce in
| their platform Interference by federal au-
thorities in local affairs as a violation of
| the constitution of the United States and
a crime against s free institutions Mr. TIL
| ton. 1t was intended to be in words
direct condemnation OF Mr.. Cleveland. as
president OF the United States. for using
OF the way every obstacle to the free pas
sage OF the mail trains and interstate COM
nerce And, my friends, whenever our
people approve the choice OF president
who believes he must ask Governor Alt
geld. or any other governor of any other
state; permission to enforce the laws OF
the victory the boys won in 1861. ZAP
plause)
The States Rights Doctrine.
''once a grave question was raised.
whether the United States could pass its
troops through Kentucky to meet rebel
! army in Tennessee. My friends, this con.
stitutional question, this division between
the general and local authorities, is plain
and easy one. a disturbance which Is pure
ly local in state is state affair. The
president cannot send troops or lend any
aid unless the legislature calls upon him
for help. or the governor. If the legislature
is not in session. But when law of the
United States is invaded and broken, it is
il, and this convention arraigns the presi>
dent for doing what his oath compelled
him to do. Applause)
Comrades of the great war, for the
Union sons of those who went out to bat
tie that the flag might not lose its luster,
will We consent, after these years Cries
OF no, MOI, that the doctrine that was shot
to death in the great war shall be revived
and made victorious in civil campaign?
(Cries of "no"D
But this assault does not end there. The
supreme court of the United States and
the federal lower courts are arraigned be-
cause they used the familiar writ of in
junction to suppress violence, to restrain
| men from breaking the law, and that the
Platform plainly means. / will show you
| that IL was understood in the convention
and in the committee on resolutions, that
| the Democratic policy was that when the
supreme court, exercising it's constitutional
power and duty. gave an Interpretation to
| a law, of the 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. (Ap>
| plause.)
Function of the Supreme Court.
MY friends. our fathers, who framed
| this government. divided its great powers
between three great departments. the legis-
| lative, the executive 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 supreme
court, the most dignified judicial body in
y,
| terpret 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 constitu-
| ton, to amend 1t to conform to our views.
| That is the position to-day.
Mr.. Hill said in his sgeech on this as,
sault upon the court: That provision. If
it means anything. means that it is the
duty of congress to reconstruct the SUI
|
land now note his words) and it is openly
| avowed that it means the adding of add:
office ard reconstructing the whole court;
will not follow any such revolutionary
step as that"
You are to answer then. my fellow citi-
zens, in all the gravity of a great or sis,
whether you will sustain a party that pro-
pose to destroy the balance which our
ment and wherever tumultuous cong IS
disagrees with the supreme courI
and a subservient president is in the White
House. that the Judgment of the people
| shall be reccnsidared and reversed by in
creasing the number of judges and packir G
the court with men who Will decide as con-
the gravity and the Importance and the
danger of this assault upon our constitu-
ticnal form of government.
Good Sense the Only Safeguard.
I Zone of the kindest, and most discrim.
mating critics who ever wrote with for
|
Bryce. in his American Commonwealth
pointed out this danger. that the constitu-
ton did not fix the number of the supreme
court judges and it was possible for d
reckless congress and a reckless executor
to subordinate and practically destroy tn;
supreme court by the process l have jus
speaking of this. says: What prevent:
such assaults on the fundamental law.
Nothing but the fear of the people who's,
bread good sense and attachment to the
principles of the constitution may be gen
orally relied or to condemn such a per
version of its powers overs (Applause2
think. the sound good sense of the Ameri
can people when an issue like this is t.
be presented. Whatever the question is
whether Mr.. Bryan's view of the constitu
tional question shall prevail or that O
the august tribunal appointed by the con
stitution to settle it. the courts are thu
full have other resources, but the poor hav,
not. The high-minded. Independent judi
ciary that will hold to the line in ques
tions between wealth and labor. between
security of the defenseless. (Applause.)
Anent the Tariff Question.
tT do not intend to spend any time i,
the discussion of the tariff question. Tha
debate has been won tapplause), and nee,
not be protracted. 1t means that il NIGH
run on eternally upon theoretical lines. W
had had some experiences but they wer
| historical, remote and not very instructv
| rience of our own, and we have had i,
, NaughterD 1t has been a hard lessor
{ but very convincing one, and everybod
was in the school house when it was given
, Uaughter)
Mr.. Depew applause ard laughter)
whose absolute accuracy and verify whel
, he tells story you can all bear witness to
! IN telling that story of our talk on tn
White House steps, did an unintentiona
injury to my modesty Qaughter). I di
not for moment suppose that any G
those influences that have elevated Amer
, lean prosperity until the mark on tn
: stones was higher than any other recor
that had been made was at all signi.ican
or of consequence. AS I have more tina
once said, it was a controversy not of me
, | 1t was not a question of what men con
trolled the governmental was wholly
, controversy between Democratic follower
and Republican followers and in this tar
!, iff debate, if it is to go on, We have histor
so fresh and recent; history SO indelbl
: written on the hearts and minds of ou
, people. that certain things must be ad
mitted, and among those things is this his
5 torical fact that in 1892 we had the mos
, | prosperous times the most general diffus
l ion of prosperity, the most universal par
ticipation in prosperity and the hghes
z mark Of prosperity we have ever attaine
. as nation Applause) Now, what ha
t | happened since?
business Worse Than Staruaut.
''Then our business prosperity was lik
the strong current of the mighty rive,
= | now il is like a failing spring in an Angus
/, | drouth. A panic in 1898 of most extra
4 ordinary character has been succeeded b
gradual drying up, less and less and les
= | until universal business distraction an
= | anxiety prevails all over our communit,
= = i do not believe there has ever been
time, except, perhaps, in tie very heat {
some active panic. when universal bushes
| fear and anxiety and watchfulness eve
n to the point of desperation, has character