Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-12-29
Waslin9tun Standard
OLYMPIA WASH.
EEIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER %, 1899.
Was Demonstration Constitutional !?

Was Demonstration Constitutional !?
4 peculiar suit is to be instituted in
Colorado, and carried up to the L. s.
Supreme Court, to determine whether
Congress has the legal right, under the
Constitution, to demonctizc either
gold or silver. The plan under con-
e!deration is for the mine owners in
Colorado to forward Il silver brick to
one OF the United States minis and de.
mand its coinage into dollars and sub
sidiary coins. A refusal is, OF course,
expected, whereupon n suit to compel
this service will he instituted and car
ricd into the court OF highest jurisdic-
ton. Judge A. W. Rucker, of Den
yer, President of the Monetary League,
has the matter in charge, and he says
that the feeling all over the country is
quite strong to test the validity OF the
act under which silver was demone.
tized. He said that two suits, one
from Michigan and the other from
Illinois, are before the high court, and
it might be possible to have the qUes-
ton OF validity of the act determined
in the opinions on one of these cases.
He had been invited to appear in them
but the matter had not yet been deter
mined whether to make the fight on
them or carry up new case. Senator
Morgan of Alabama, and George Fred
Williams of Massachusetts, have vol
nnteered to assist in the legal fight,
without compensation, and other emf
nent lawyers are willing to do the
same thing. Two or three thousand
dollars will be needed, however, for in
cidental expenses, but it will be easily
raised by subscription.
Had the electoral commission and
the Supreme Court not divided on
precisely partisan grounds when the
ballot box was subverted to seat a
fraudulent President and Justice was
stricken down to protect the vaults of
the wealthy capitalist when tax on
incomes was imposed, by one of the
best laws ever enacted, there might be
some confidence in a righteous judy
ment upon the matter that is to be
submitted, but observation and exper-
fence teaches that every branch of
our government is permeated with
partisanship, and that the patriotism
we boast of, is, after all, but skin deep.
A pity it is that it is true; but it is
folly to delude ourselves longer in the
belief that we possess virtue which
has gradually become extinct.
QUITE furry has been created by
the present attitude of the Sea tile
Times towards its party associates, and
some of the Democratic papers seem
to take it very much to heart, and call
the Colonel" hard names, and he re-
spends with such undignifed epithets
as "cur" and "whelp." There is no
use to waste any sympathy or worry
over the matter. The present attitude
of the Colonel" is simply part of his
game, as it were; a "hold up in road
parlance, or an intimation to "ante"
at the gaming table. It is one of those
periodical conditions which comes on
whenever the Colonel" is expected to
tote" politicians into Office. In this
respect the "Colonel" resembles very
much the First Families of Washing
ton in old-time deals with their white
brothers. The hiring OF an aborigine
to "canoe" you to Alki or Port Town.
send, was no guaranty that the con-
tract would end as stipulated. When
Steilacoom, or Squaxon, or some other
seaport" was reached, the head con-
nubiator of the gang Of paddlers would
suddenly get hyas till, and another
douceur would have to be paid before
the journey would be resumed. In
this case, the "Colonel" is just oppo-
site Steilacoom, and wants to be "pla-
Gated"