The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1897-09-16


Some years ago Congress passed the inter-
state commerce law for the purpose OF pro-
tecting the public against OvercharSe ana un-
just determinations. The corpora tions op-
posed this law and have succeeded in getting
the Federal courts to destroy it by construc-
ton.
Again. Congress passed an income tax law
to compel the concentrated wealth OF the
land to bear its share Of the burdens or gov
eminent. For q hundred years such laws
had been held to be constitutional by the
Supreme Court, but this time the great cor
pOrations objected and the Supreme Court
at once came to their rescue and held the
law to be unconstitutional. The favor OF the
opposition of the corporations has come TO
be almost the sole test Of the constitution
aity Of law.
Congress has passed some antitrust laws
for the protection of the public, but they are
simply sneered at by the Federal courts, ana
only industry that prOspers i'll this country.
Nearly all efforts to curb corporations or
to bring great offenders to justice have been
failures. In many cases the law and the
courts seem to assume an apologize attitude
when facing men whose forms have been
made rotund by i'll gotten millions. while in
many other cases both the law and the courts
become terrible in their majesty when deal
ing with men whose forms are bent, whose
clothes are poor and whose stomachs are
empty. The fact that the bony and industri-
Gus hands of these men helped to create the
capital that is now setting it's heel on their
neckS and crushing their families does not
help them.
Not content with the law as they found it,
the Federal courts. in their eagerness to
serve the corporations. have usurped the
functions belonging to the legislative and eX-
ecutive branches Of the government and have
invented a new form of tyranny called gov
ernment by injunction.
During the entire century In which this
continent was developed, when our railroads,
our factories and cities were built, no
government by injunction was heard Of nor
&c n.H Of in, how tpNy tn- Iny
The law of the land was ample for all pur-
poses. Life and property were protected
order was maintained, law was enforced and
our nation became the wonder of the earth.
And the law of the land as it existed for over
century is ample for every purpose to-day
Age of Plunder.
But when the great leaders of industry be-
gan to pass away, then there came to the
front a class of manipulators who knew
nothing about the art of building. but who
had learned the art of legalized robbery. and
these manpulatOrS and plundererS demanded
a new form of government. The former
leaders allowed the labOrer a little of tia
bread he toiled for, but the new manpulators
wanted it all.
The laborers were entirely at the mercy
of these men. They first got hungry and
then reStive-a whip was needed to restore
contentment, and the Federal courts prompt
ly furnished it.
Government by injunction operates this
way: When judge wants to do something
not authorized by law he simply makes Il
law TO suit himself. That is, he sits down in
his chambers and issues a kind of ukase,
which he calls an injunction, against the
people of an entire community or of whole
State, forbidding whatever he sees fit to for
bid, and which the law does not forbid, and
commanding whatever he sees fit to com
mand, and which the law does not command
for when the law forbids or commands I;
thing no injunction is necessary.
Having thus issued his ukase, the same
judge has men arrested. and sometimes drag
ged fifty or Il hundred miles from their homes
TO his court on Il charge of violating the in
JunctIon-that is contempt of court. And the
men. after lying in prisons while. are tried,
not by Il jury, as is required by the cOnsti-
tuition when Il man is charged with q crime,
but they are tried by the same Judge whose
dignity they are charged with having offend
ed and they are sentenced to prison at the
mere pleasure of this Judge who is at once
legiSa tor judge and eXecutiOner.
When the car of Russia issues 4 ukase he
leaves it to other men to enforce, but not so
with these Judges
Recently q judge in West Virginia issued
an injunction forbidding the exercise of free
speech and actually forbdding men from
marching on the highway, no matter how
peaceable they might be. There are few
noble men on the Federal bench who have
refused to prostitute their courts ut the bid
ding of corrupt greed, but they will in time
have to follow precedents set by the others
1t will be noticed that these injunctions are
simply a whip with which to lash the back
of labor 1t is also apparent that if they sllc-
ceed they must ultimately destroy the inter
eStS in whose behalf they are now issued and
that they are therefore short-sightrd
For if the aborcrs of this country are ever
reduced to the helpless condition of the la-
boring classes in some European countries
a condition in which they will have no pur-
chasing power-then the great American
market must disappear and our great rail
roads and Industrial properties will not be
worth 30 cents on the 81.
CHANGING at this proceeding. we find that il |
entirely Supersedes government by law and
according to the forms of law as guaranteed
by the constitution, and it substitutes gov
ernment according to the whimS. caprice or
prejudice of an individual aud is therefore !
a clear usurpation OF power and crime.
Shall the corporations of this land be per-
mitted not only to devOur our substance but |
also to destroy our liberties?
My friends, let us save our institutions: |
government by injunction must be crushed
II the government takes some of the great |
then there will not be so many |
men appointed to the bench But |
the constitution has pointed out a way to end |
these usurpations without having the gov |
take the corporations, and that way |
is by impeachment: Every one Of these |
judges, whether Of high or low degree, who |
has been trampling on the constitution and |
usurpng power not given him is subject TO |
impeachment
CONSIGNED to Infamy |
The American people can remove every one |;
of them and consign them to that infamy |
which is now embalming the memory of |
j Je1TrleS.
But this cannot be done so long as Con-
gress is made up largely of men who are |
mere corporation cOnvenienceS. 1t will be |
to send men to Congress who will |
be true to the people. This may not happen |
at the next election, nor yet at the next; but |
it must come, and must come SOON
Providence has ordained that nothing shall !
go on forever. Our fathers said that every |
lane had turn We have been travelling
in lane that has run in the same direction |
for thirty years, and are approaching turn.
Yea, my friends. do not despair A turn in |
the road is already in sight. and if the Amer
lean people are but true to their nobler in
stincts they will soon be restored to their
while justice and liberty. equal |
rights and equal privileges will cover our
land with a halo of glory and give our peo-
pie a new century of prosperity and happi-
ness.
But if they do not rise in their manhood !
and stand for the principles of eternal jus
tice, then all is lost.
This is Labor day throughout the United |
States and many beautiful things will be said |
about the dignity of labor. but want to say
to you that If our government is not rescued |
from corruption and if the snaky form of
government by injunction is not crushed
then it would have been better for your chill
1ren If they had never been born.