The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-10-27

quired of these men is especially ardu-
Gus and is performed under conditions
of real danger at all times. The num-
Der of accidents above noted during
the past year are proof that they are
liable at all times to interruption of The
safe performance of their necessary la
Dor. AS q class they are faithful, hard
working men, and Congress will make
no mistake if it passes law providing
assistance for them in case of injury
and a pension to their families when
they are killed on duty.
THE Democrats who are disposed to
listen to the popular clamor for " Gov
eminent by Injunction " and the pro-
testations against the federal courts
will be interested in the utterance of
that lifelong Democrat, Stephen j.
Field, who was honored more than
third of a century ago by President
Lincoln with an appointment to the
supreme bench. In his letter to his as
sociates announcing bis retirement,
Justice Field said: Z" AS I look back
over the more than third of century
that l have sat on this bench, am
more and more impressed with the i'm
measurable importance of this court.
Now and then we hear it spoken of as
an aristocratic feature of a republican
government But it is the most demo-
cratic of all. Senators represent their
States and Representatives their con-
stituents, but this court stands for the
whole country, and as such it is truly
of the people, by the people, and for
the people, 1t has indeed no power
to legislate. 1t cannot appropriate a
dollar of money. 1t carries neither the
purse nor the sword, but it possesses
the power of declaring the law and in
that is found the safeguard which
keeps the whole mighty fabric of gov
eminent from rushing to destruction.
This negative power, the power of re-
sistance, is the only safety of popular
government" -
THE campaign in Virginia in this or
any other year does not ordinarily at
tract much attention outside the Old
Dominion State, because of the fact
that Virginia is 30 strongly Democratic
that all the Republican organization
can hope to do is to keep the adverse
majority down to as low figure as pos
sible. Some months ago the Republi-
can leaders in that State decided not to
hold the usual party convention on the
ground that the election would, beyond
question, result in Democratic vic
tory, and if no formal fight was made
this year much labor and expense
would be saved. Although there was
some opposition to this plan the objec-
tions were overruled and the Demo
Gratis were left with the field to them
selves. The dissenting faction, how
ever, was not satisfied and last week a
Republican convention was held in
Richmond at which several hundred
delegates were present and a plan to
put up the best fight possible was cheer
ed to the echo. Not one of these dele
gates believe that there is chance to
carry Virginia for the Republicans this
fall, but that discouraging circumstance
had no perceptible effect on the pre-.
vailing sentiment that the party ought
to do what it could to maintain its or
ganization, even in an off year, and
hope for better times. From the &C.
ton of these sturdy Republicans OF
Virginia, the Democrats of Vermont
| might take a lesson.