The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-10-21
THE U. S. SUPREME COURT.
How it Has Encroached Uhon lie
Rights of the People. .sgaa

"Your reform leaders are anar.
chists. Here is St. Louis labor pa
per that dares to say the supreme
court OF the United States is stencil
In the nostrils of liberty and free
dom.'" So said goldite. 1t. Weuld
not be difficult to prove that this
court, with rare exceptions, has shown
itself SO partial, prejudiced and SER
vile to power or to party on great oc-
casions that the statement of the
Journal, of st. Louis, is an axiom.
The constitution of the United
States gave to Congress power to pun
ish five or six crimes only. The de-
bates over the constitution by the
founders show why this was DONE
The Kentucky and Virginia resolu-
tons Of Jefferson and Madison. re.
affirm that "any act of Congress to
punish any other offense is null, void
and OF no effect" The nation en-
dorsed them by a tremendous vote at
the election of Jefferson. Congress
receded from. the attempt to punish
sedition and frauds on the United
States bank. In addition, the consti-
tuition was amended so as to make the
question undeniable. And yet the SUI
preme court overthrow the constitu-
ton in a decision by Marshal that has
given Congress power over hundred
and more petty offenses.
The idea OF the founders was to
give all such powers to the states, be-
cause the giving Of them to the gen.
eral government would cause accused
parties to be dragged out of their
counties among strangers fol-, trial. a
tyranny and outrage that the English
rose up against when parliament
sought to bring prisoners to West
minister out Of their counties for trial;
a tyranny that made liberty blush for
shame. MAY God Almighty forever
preserve my country from such OPP
PRESTON" said Holmes of Massachu-
setts. (See Elliot's Debates, volumes
Massachusetts, and Virginia). Then
are dragged from Alaska to Florida
for trial on any one out Of more than
hundred various offenSes and mis-
demeanOrs. -
The bred Scott decision before the
war shows that said court is liable to
utter the most atrocious decisions in
its devotion to power. The seven to
eight of Hayes and TildenA times
shows that this court is as partisan
as Tammy Hall convention. II
those instances are not enough m ore
are easily found. -
That court has one great precedent
for foundation on which it may yet
build tyranny as horrible as any ,des-
pOtiSm Of the Dark Ages in q memOr.
able decision OF state court which
choked the life out Of several noble
men. Not" as the judge said and re-
affirmed in magazine article lately,
Not for having thrown a bomb, or
having had any concern OF knowing
anything about the bomb, OF. of any
one who did throw it, but because by
their speeches and writings hereto
fore they have advised murder, by
which some person or persons to the
court and jury unknown were induced
to throw the bomb" Such is almost
verbatim the language Of the Judge
refusing new trial. (Note that two
Of the hanged never wrote, spoke or
published, and were incapable OF do
ing SOY. Here is glorious foundation
for exalting by ropes every Populist
and Socialist writer and speaker, once
the supreme court of the United
States carries it story higher.-Ap
Zeal to Reason. -.ss -.