The times., 1897-08-09

the keeping OF single Autocrat, vastly
Is mere convenient and pleasant for Thom0s
Bracket Reed.
Basswood Posing as Old Hickory.
It seldom has happened liz the history
of this country that the judicial action
OF a Federal court has been handled by
the national press in such terms as mark
the editorial expressions OF leading journals
with regard to the recent injunction Is
sued by Judge Jackson, in West Virginia.
and directed against law-abiding citizens,
10 whom il assumes TO deny the constitu-
tional rights of free speech and peaceable
assemblage.
We cannot doubt that, by this time.
Judge Jackson is sorry he spoke. If he
patroniZes dipping agency and thus is
able to read all that has been and is
being said about him, it is difficult to
see how he can escape the dilemma of
reform or suicide. His offense must be
rank, indeed, when the New York Even
ing Post, whose editor lately was given
an honorary degree by oxford University
for Lis services in this country to British
Evening Post considers that actions like
his make plausible the complaint OF the
miners that the courts are partial and
regards tile spread OF such an opinion
among the common people,'i. e., those
without oxford titles, as something TO be
deprecated On public grounds.
Other leading papers treat the erring JUS
tice with as little Consideration for his per
sonal feelings as il he were candidate
life JLst discovered. They, or some of
then, do not hesitate to insinUate that his
injunction is a direct violation OF the pro-
vision in the Constitution which says that
the Congress shall not make any law
"abrideing the freedom of speech or OF
the press or the right Of the people peace
ably 90 assemble, and TO petition the Gov
ernmcnt for a redress of grievances"
But why should it surprise anyone that
an Inferior federal judge should ignore
little thing like that, when he has before
him tie precedent and example established
in the suppression OF the House of Repre-
sentetives, by its Speaker, accompanied
with direct violations OF the Constitu-
ton, committed with the full privity and
consent of the National Executive? IL
the administration and the Speaker may
ignore and defy the Constitution in the
interests Of certain trusts, nonopolies and
so on, why may not a third class federal
judge do the same, for the benefit of a
highly respectable party of ca pitalist coal
operators? Every man, even including
Thomas Bracket Reed and Marcus 4 urelius
Hanna, viii admit that, as an academic
proposition, it is wrong TO violate the
Constitution of the United States, par
ticdlarfy when the violator has taken an
oath to support it. On the other hand,
statesmen Of the Reed, Hanna and Judge
jackson school appear to believe in that
higher law which variously declares that
circumstances alter cases. that "neces-
| sity is the mother of Intention - and that
a great deal might be said for the rule
laid down by that grea Legislator, Timothy
Campbell, who declared that, between
friends, tie Constitution was as unim-
| nOrfant "a factor I'm government "a "A rneru-
ber of the Congress under the rule of the
Autocrat
For these reasons we think that Judge
Jackson should be allowed the pdlliation
of high example If we are to permit the
Administration itself to treat the supreme
| law Of the land as So much waste paper,
we ought to be comparatively lenient to
its satellites for adopting the pace thus
set fCT them with the federation IL not
the consent of the nation.
Personally we are afraid that Judge
Jackson is victim to his patronym 1t
is conceivable that he may have thought
drastic action such as he was bold enough
20 take savored much OF. the spirit and
force OF the original Jackson-he of his
toric fame and veneration And it must
be confessed that there is point of re-
semblance between the two characters.
| II is the startling resemblance of salt
| petre to Saint Peter.
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