The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-05-24
WEDNESDAY. MAY a. 1890.
SOME GOOD GOVERNMENT BY IN
JUNCTION

The victory Of tho city OF Richmond
in its litigation with the Bell Telephone
Company furnishes one of the most
striking Illustrations possible Of the
fafuity and folly of that plank i'm the
Chicago platform that denounces gov
eminent by injunction" which IS the
same thing as 70 say that when one
,nan or Set of men desires 90 pursue
given course they shall not be- impeded
or restrained in that course. although
the pursuit of il may ruthless'y deprive
another man or set of men Of rights
which they implicitly believe 10 De
theirs ana which, indeed. may Joe theirs
In this case the Bell Telephone Com
uanv claimed that So had a. right 10 run
iis lines upon poles along the streets
al the city of Richmond and that its
right was superior 90 any authority OF
the city. This was no idle claim as-
serted for purposes OF righteousness. The
company believed Be- had the right and
IT was supported in that belief by the
opinion of eminent counsel as learned I'm
our laws a. any lawyers that we have.
This company is not an ogre-some in-
dividuauty separate and apart from the
people Of the United States that exists
TO prey upon them ana suck their blooo
in al hours Of the day and night It's
bonds and stock are owned by citizens
Of the United States and this ownership
causes the company TO consist OF these
citizens of the United States. Their
rights under the laws of the land are
as sacred ass the rights of any other c.ti-
zens Of the United States and are as
much entitled TO- the protection of the
laws as the rights of amy other citizens
are
They believed that The action con-
templated by the city of Richmond was
an invasion Of their rights under the
law. and instead OF rcsorting TO physi-
cal force TO defend wha, they thought
their rights as sayages do. they came
90 the judicial tribunals of the nation
in an orderly and respectful manner.
praying that the city should DE re-
strained from depriung them of what
they believed to be their property until
they should have am opportunity 20 eN-
hibit 10 the court the grounds upon
which they founded their claim so. that
81 might Dee fairly ana judicially deter
mined whether their claims were or were
not well founded. The city was tem-
porarily restrained. bat after both sides
we're given fuu opportunity Go produce
whatever they thought useful in main-
tanning their preteusions and the court
had carefully deiDerated upon an that
was produced. The highest court in the
nation solemnly confesses that the city
IS I'm the right and that The company IS
in the wrong
Vow who can doubt that this pro-
cedure is Tar better than for the city 20
have ruthlessy run over the citizens
who compose this company. upon the
plea that any restraint upon its feyerish
desire would be government by injunc-
ton" suppose 10 was government by
Injunction" IS not such government
operated as IL IS 10y due and orderly pro-
cedure. in which every man is heard
and given FUN opportunity TO state what
fhfA AH0' Ai' Attt.iit's AAt fthtNtttfit ~
q government I'm which the strong man
IS allowed % have his own way and TO
run over the weak man according TO his
own turbulent Will.
This government by Injunction plank
Of the Chicago platform is "a blow aimed
~ the very foundations upon which an
social order must rest, Men cannot live
together IN society unless there is some
common arbiter 10 whom their differ
euces shall be referred for settlement.
and while 81 was possible 20 gen on in "a
soml-civilizcd way. five hundreds years
ago, upon the theory that am injury
was not 20 be prevented bat ony COM
pensated IN damages after 81 was COM
mitted, that was a theory suited only
20 d semi-barbar0us state Of things
Our present refined social fabric could
not endure one year n Il rested uoon
the theory that lswiess men might have
their own way al the beginnirg subject
only 20 a responsibility for punishment !
and damages after their injuries were |
sissady INFLICTED. II this were the theory |