Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-05-09
ALTGELD Is ALWAYS HONEST
CONTINUED from page -

cd. II the courts must 20 into the bust.
ness Of operating railroads. then these
absurd fctiOns should be abandoned
and the rOads held to be In the hands
of the receivers just ms other roads are
held to he In the hands Of their owners.
1t Is In connection with bankrupt roads
In the hands of court that most of the
outrageous orders of injunctiOns were
issueu during the last two years. These
injunctiOns are outside of the regular
Of government. so far as
they are outside the law. they are
usiirpatiOns. and where not usurpa tons
they are wrong. for the Constitution
has created other machinery to enforce
the criminal law. Courts Of Chan.
Gerry were not created for this
purpose. Further, they do no good. In
Chicago they were issued long in ad.
vance Of any serious riOting or dis.
turbances: yet they did not prevent the
burning Of single freight car. nor the
ditching of single train. Our country
has existed for more than hundred
years. During this time all our great
ness and our glory have been achieved.
Property has been protected. and law
and order has been maintained by the
machinery established by the COnstitu.
ton; this machinery has at all times
been found to be more than sufficient
for every emergency. II both the Con-
stitutiOn and our past experience are
now to he disregnr,led. and the Federal
courts are to be permitted to set up
this new form Of government. then It
will he equally proper for the State
courts to do no, and We shall soon have
government by injunction from head to
toe. All Of the affairs Of life will be
regulated. not by law, but by the per.
sonnl pleasure. prejudice or caprice Of
multitude Of Judges.
Formerly. when n man charged with
contempt Of court, filed an affidavit
purging himself Of the contempt-that
Ii. denying 1.-THE matter ended. ex-
cept that he could he indicted for per-
jury II he swore to a lie. But after
thus purging himself he could not he
tried for contempt by the very Judge
whose dignity he was charged with
having offended. In other words. when
a man denied his guilt he could not he
sentenced to prison without trial by
jury. Hut this protection Of the cid
zen Is now brushed away.
Federal Troops.
The placing Of United States troops
on active duty In Chicago under the
conditions that existed there last sum.
mer presents question Of the most
far.reaching Importance. and should re.
ceive the most serious consldera ton Of
every patriot and Of every man who
believes In free institutions. As nj.
ready shown. they were put there with.
out calling ON the local authorities to
enforce the law, or making any In.
Quiry as to whether any assistance
was needed. and Mt time when the
local authorities felt they could easily
control the situation. While the dates
and the facts show that It was done In
this case for the purpose Of setting a
precedent for having the Federal Gov
eminent take the corporations under Its
immediate protection, the principle In
vOlved IL much broader than even this
violation Of the Constitution. AMI
cOntemplates the exercise Of a
power that cannot exist In harmony
with republican institutions. This net
was an entirely new departure In the
history Of our government. ana n great
constitutional writer Of the country.
In cOmplimenting the President upon
having taken this step. speaks Of II
az a great step taken In constitutional
construction ana II thankful that II
cost no little blOO,lsled. thus practic-
ally stating that this new departure
was n violation Of the constitution as
II had been understood for a century.
The old doctrine Of state rights IL In
no way involved. Nobody for mo-
ment questions the supremacy Of the
Union. But II does involve the Iues.
ton whether, In connection with Fed.
ernl supremacy. there does not go hand
In hand the principle Of local self-gOv-
eminent. These two principles, !. O.,
Federal union and local self-gOvern-
ment, have for century been regarded
as the foundation upon which the glory
Of our whole governmental fabric rests,
One IL just as sacred, just rs inviOla.
bic. just as important as the other.
without Federal union there must fol.
low anarchy, ana without local self
government there must follow despOt.
lam ROtl, N ro dast ~, cttyo not only nj
the liberties, but Of the higher aspira-
tons ana possibilities Of a people. The
great Civil War settled that We should
not have anarchy. 1t remains to be
settled whether we shall he destroyed
by despOtism. II the President can,
ut his pleasure. In the first instance,
sent troops into any city, town or ham
let In the country, or into any number
of cities. towns or hamlets, whenever
ana wherever he pleases, under pre-
tense Of enforcing some law, his judg.
ment, which means his pleasure. be-
Ing the sole criterion, then there can
be no difference whatever In this re-.
spect between the powers of the Presi,
dent and those of Emperor william
or of the Gear of Russia. Neither OF
these pOtentates ever claimed any
thing more. 1t IL not n question as ia
whether the President must first get
the permission OF local authorities be.
fore he can interfere. but the question
IL whether the local ana State author.
tiles should first he called to enforce
tho Inv and maintain arllar ,sinV FOR