Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-02-02
R.IlficaI Revelations.

1t is 5tnpossiole to avoid the lessons
on our political system that are con
veyed in the plain avowals of the gov
ernirIg cliques on two subjects. The
firsr is the assertion in the debate yes
terday, that the laws of criminal pro
cedure must be changed so as to rescue
Senator Quay from the power of the
District Attorney to stand aside ju-
rors whom he may suspect of being un-
| duly friendly to the defendant.
This power has been part of the
| authority of the prosecuting attorney
| from before the establishment of the
Pennsy lvania Courts. On its strict jus
tice there has been a division, the
| weight of judicial and legal opinion in
this State being in its favor. But what
| is remarkable is that the alleged iujus-
tice of the practice to the common citl-
zen on trial has never at all appealed
to our political magnates, who dictate
/ our legislation. They have not lacked
opportunity to amend the practice, for
the benefit of the ordinary defendant.
Those honestly opposed to it have
brought in bills to repeal it in every
session for the last nine Legislatures,
and those whose nod determine the fate
of legislation permitted them to be sti-
fled 1t is only when the head of the
machine is sin danger of feeling the
halter draw, that the practice is discov-
cred to be inequitable. And that no
detail be lacking to prove that our laws
are to be changed to suit the exigencies
of our political dictatOrs, the fact is on
record that Senator Quay has himself
used exactly this practice to secure the
conviction of editors who had made
publications obnoxious to his tastes.
Yet that remarkable phase of the sub
iect is reduced to innocuous mildaess
by another one developed yesterday.
One of the Quay organs of this city
quotes an unnamed politician, evidently
of the Quay stripe, to the effect that
the appointment to the Supreme Court,
to fill the vacancy caused by Justice
Williams death, will be used to cause
break in the Democratic ranks, that
will insure Senator QIay's reelection.
1t is hard to imagine any assertion
which puts the whole scheme of politics
on plane of more utter degradation than
this The Supreme Court is the last
bulwark of justice. The property, liber-
ty, even the lives of the people may de-
pend On It's integrity and implrtiality
If the Supreme Court Is not above sus-
picion, our whole system is failure.
Yet we are told, through an organ of
Quay politics. that position on the Su-
preme Bench is to be used as political
merchandise, with which to bribe Dem
ocratic members to vote for Quay.
1t is not hazariGas 10 say that IT any
such proposition were made to Mr. !
jerks, he would resent the insult ia
suit in such ter ms that it would not be
repeated, But, supposing the schemes
to be successful, the fact that n Senator |
has to have the laws changed to enable |
him to escape justice, and has to trade
positions on the Supreme Bench to bay !
votes for his reelection, would make |
the whole proceeding 50 infamous that
the people would be forced to revolt +!
aga inst it.-Pittsburg Dispatch.
AT Helena, Montana, last Saturday, |
William A. Clark, native of Con- |
nellsville, this state, and the owner of |
the largest copper mine interests in the |
world, was elected United States SEN |
ator by combination of Democrats |
and Republicans