Great Falls weekly tribune., 1896-09-25
HARMON's HYPOCRISY.


torney General Harmon, Mr.. Cleveland's
legal adviser, has felt it his duty to pub
lish an attack upon Hon. w. J. Bryan.
OF course Mr.. Harmon top-loftcally de-
clares that he is actuated by the public
good, but that will deceive no one. He
has simply added another to the many
Mckinley campaign documents that
have emanated from members of the
Cleveland administration. Mr.. Harmon
takes as textfor his screed the indorse-
ment by Mr.. Bryan of the resolution in
the Chicago platform protesting against
federal interference in local affairs"
The learned attorney general assumes
that the resolution refers to the employ
ment of United States troops in Chicago
at the time of the riots incident to the
railroad strike, and Justify defends the
action of the administration at that
time. 1t is not our purpose to discuss
the right or the wrong done
in that special instance, but to
call to the attention of our readers one
Of the claims set up by the attorney
general in support Of his contention.
lie says, il the president "can do nothing
to protect the property, maintain the
authority and enforce the laws of tho
United States, unless, and until the Of
ticers of another government (meaning
state oflicials). request or consent. then
we really have no federal government"
From his standpoint, this is no doubt
good law, but the trouble is, the attorney
general seeks to have it apply only to The
one case in point, the Chicago riot. If
1t is the inherent right it logically fol-
lows it must be the duty of the federal
government to enforce "the laws of the
United States without awaiting an in
vitation or permission of the state
authoritiee. Has this been done! Mr..
Cleveland rushed troops into Chicago to
suppress a riot but waa that riot the
only Willful open violation Of federal
laws that has occurred during his nd
u4ini9tration, or Was il the only 5iole
ton ttgt monaced the rights Of prop.
eTty ol the we'll being of communities!
Manifcstly not The demand f0f
federal Interference TO enforce federal
laws is as crying today at it has been for
years. Yet Mr.. Harmon cannot hear or
will net heed the demand, The inter
state commerce law is being violated in
its material provisions, the trusts are
crushing the people under the weight of
prices, regulated by the greed of those
in control and the great corporations
ere engaged in d conspiracy TO coerce
ard intimidate employees, before which
all other conbpiracios pale into naigniti.
cance. These things are notorious, the
attorney general knows Of them, SO does
the president. IL it is the duty Of the
federal authorities to enforce one law,
why not all the laws? Surely the inter.
state commerce and the antitrust laws
are federal onactments. Had the United
States courts not been so handy with
lHluECt!JI6 hIu i1uu Inc l LlLeu othleS
attorneys made even an effort to enforce
the laws made to protect the people. there
would have been no need for such q plank
in the Chicago platform. Mr.. Harmon and
those associated with him officially, by
their willful neglect to prosecute offend
ers, or by granting them immunity,
made the protest necessary. BY his
action, or non action, he has placed him
self in the position of defender Of the
trusts and corporations and it i'll be-
comes him to play the role of critic
upon those who denouncc the miscon-
due. of the administration. What the
people ask is that the laws be enforced
equally and made to apply to rich cor
porations as well as employees. When
MIR. Harmon, as attorney general, con-
cludes to do his whole duty the public
may take some stock in his protcsta
tions in favor of law and order. At
present they can only look upon his let
ter as very thin campaign document,
written in the interest of the goldbug
candidates.