The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-09-22

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ly existed, have, not by law, but by the
decisions of courts, been developed into
monstrous proportions. They are de-
clared to be rsons-IMMORTAL per-
'sons-with all the rights of citizens.
They can live forever; but they cannot
be hanged or imprisoned They are a
species of demons-with the attributes
of men; but without human response
bllity or conscience or affections. Gen
erations pass away, but they survive;
death touches them not; the graveyard
Is not for them. They marry no wives;
they raise no families. They have no
object in existing but pure, unmitigated
greed-the appropriation to themselves
of that wealth which labor alone can
produce. And this process of the ex-
ploitation of industry they vastly facili-
tate, until at last it has come to pass
that those, who, by their toll, produce
all things, can scarcely obtain enough Of
the necessities of life to maintain exis-
tence; while those persons, natural and
artificial, who have produced nothing,
who, from the beginning to the end of
their worthless lives, have added not a
sixpence to the wealth of the country,
roll and riot, like swine, in the affiuence
of their stolen wealth, encountered by
their necessary abundance.
And our courts, which were originally
inton6od fn CT ,1xyy ho to-
putes of citizens, and hold at equipoise
1.-The doubtful balance of rights and
wrongs" or to administer, in the name
of the community, punishment to those
who have invaded the privileges of citi-
zens, have, by continuous march OF
usurpation, beginning almost as soon
as our government was formed, reached
the point where they set themselves
UP above the people, their legislatures
and their congresses, and absorb into
their own hands the entire government
of the country.
For, surely, the power which can an
null the laws is greater than the power
which makes the laws.
The people, through their representa-
tives, are supposed to govern; but here
is higher government, composed Of a
few men. which is mightier than our
100000 of supposed self-gpverning
freemen. And the most powerful of
these judges are not elected by the
people; are not amenable to them in
any way, and hold their places until
death-the only thing we have in this
country today that is not controlled by
the money power-sees fit to remove
them to their reward.
And yet, extraordinary as it may seem
the people have never established any
such system; and no other civilized
country in the world would permit it
for one instant. We can search the con-
stitutions of all the states and of the
nation, and we shall not find a syllable
which authorizes Oh justifies it.
The first section of the constitution
of the United States says:
"All legislative powers herein granted
shall be vested in a congress of the
United States, which shall consist of a
senate and house Of representatives"
There is no such provision as this
added to it:
Provided, that, if congress shall pass
any law which the Supreme Court of the
United States shall conclude is in viola
ton of this constitution, or any part of
1t, or of the spirit of the same or any
part OF 1t, as interpreted by the judg-
ment of majority of said court they
shall have the right to nullify and set
it asitle''
If this was the intent of the trainers
of the constitution, then it should have
commenced with these words:
"The ultimate and absolute power, to
make the laws of the United States, shall
be vested in the members OF the supreme
court; and all pretended laws, first
passed by the people, through their SEN
ators and representatives in congress
assembled, shall before taking effect, be
submitted to said judges, and they shall
as laws of the land, and which shall
not; and the said court or a majority
thereof. shall have the right to call
upon the army and navy and the militia
OF the states to enforce it's decisions
Does any man believe that such con-
stitution, if put forth by the patriots
of the revolution would ever have haan
adopted by the states?
No; it would not have established a
republic but an oligarchy.
1t would have made the great struggle
of 1776 farce. 1t would have given us
form of government worse even than
that which we overthrow; for England,
to it's honor be it spoken, has never per
mitted court to Overrule parliament
and the people who stand behind parlia-
ment. The kingdoms Of the earth would
spit upon such proposition. 1t was
reserved for the great free republic of
the new world-not to adopt it-but to
submit to it.
This whole thing means the vastest
and most villainous usurpation of the
powers Of the people, ever known in the
history of civilized society. 1t is a COM
plete subversion Of our government. 1t
renders Bunker Hill and Yorktown ridi-
culous. If wealth can control presi
Dental election. then the president so