Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1899-08-11
CANTON.

The most important election that our
people will ever be privileged to con
duct is upon us this fall No branch OF
our government exel cises the influence
and power welded by the supreme
court Of the state. It was the greatest
jurist OF them all who in speaking OF
government said: II do not care who
makes the laws if I am PERMITTED to in
terpret and construe them.'' 1t has
been demonstrated beyond peradven-
ture Of doubt that under our system OF
government the judicial department. IS
of even more Importance and influence
than the legislative or executive. Pc
culiarly is this true in our state at this
time. Two great questions confront
us. Upon those questions the people
of the state agree. It will be contest
not between two we'll meaning factions
of people, but a contest with the in
terests of the railroads and of the sa-
looms on the one side and the interests
of the whole people on the other. The
people have declared themselves upon
those questions and now their interests
are in the hands OF the highest court IN
the state. Can anyone wonder then,
that for us at this moment the supreme
court is the center OF interest? The
duty of the court is to apply the law.
The law is the expressed will OF the
people. What We must have then, IS
a court whose sentiments are in har-
mony with the will Of the people.
What then, shall we think Of people
who favor as members of that court
men who have demonstrated time after
time that they are not only not in. har-
mony with the sentiment of the people
on those vital questions but dianelri-
cally opposed to them. No man OF
whatever party affiliations, would ser
iously dispute that the present court is
not such body as can be safely en-
trusted with the solution Of these mo-
mentous questions Several republi-
can editors, including Nash OF the
News, saw and admitted this before the
present court was renominated. Yea,
more, they strenuously opposed their
nomination. It proved a futile effort.
Now these same editors, including the
man of the News, have concluded that
they have done all they could to defeat
the present court and have thrown up
the sponge. That is, they conclude
that when their party has acted then
the question is settled and is no longer
open for discussion This may be later
day patriotism perhaps, but we submit
the right thinking people will not long
follow it. These men know well that
the state does not want such court as
the old party has offered. That it's in
terests cannot be best subserved by
their reelection, yet are willing to
sacrifice the welfare Of the state in the
interests of their party while they
know it is endorsing policy detrimen-
tai to the state. Which are such men
serving, party or state? Yet these
same men call themselves patriots.
We submit that we already have too
many patriots Of that class
What we at this point need is men who
are patriotic enough to sacrifice party
interests for state interests. What we
need now is q court that will best sub
serve the interests of the people of the
state This should not be party cam
paign. The people are not fighting
among themselves on this question. If
the republican people who believe as we
do that it is dangerous to trust our
present court with the interests Of the
people, will come out and make clean
fight for proper court from now I'M
til election the union forces will be the
first to 81 ggest an entirely nonpartisan
ticket and a nonparti.an campaign.
G.. B. A.