The sun., 1901-12-07
DISREGARD FOR LAW.


the New ork Tribune-in correspond
ence and editorial comment. The condi
tions suggested are not confined to New
York, but are common, doubtless in all
the States. A correspondent writing to
the Tribune about public abuses, says:
And we have been reading of such out
RACES week after week and month after
month, and still they go on receiving the
comforting assurance that they will CON
tinue until the people assert their
rights"
Can we wonder that the hundreds Of
thousands who do not think very deeply
are becoming more and more disposed to
look upon the law as thing which bene-
fits the great as against the small. the
powerful as against the weak, and the
rich as against the poor? The people
are told to assert their rights; but how?
The law? What is little thing like
the law against Il greedy corporation and
its preyt"
To this the Tribune replies as follows;
Service, not worship, is needed. How
many law reverencing people, when
they see or even personally suffer some
illegal abuse by an individual or a cor
poration. will take the trouble to protest
against il i'll court? Ninty-nine in
hundred will say it is too much trouble,
or il is some one elSes business, or they
don't want to make themselves disliked,
and so will go by on the other side. The
hundrcdth man will fight for the law,
and will win the fight. If all men, or
most men. would DO the same, it would
speedily appear that the law is pretty
big thing even against the biggest ana
grecdcst corporation. Not lawless vio-
lence. hut law, strictly enforced, is the
remedy for corporate and all other law
lessnesS.
This il i'll the line of The Suns con
tention in regard TO the local political
conditions. Here partisanship and fac
tionalSm has throttlcd the law. In this
case we refer to the law the fundamental
organic law, that which remains, and il
basic nr which the authority is undoubt-
ed. II viii he agreed, we think that the
local political conditions are the out
growth Of causes more or less remote
and not sudden and unexplainahle myS-
teries; but as an effect Of q cause may
be traced 10 their source and each phase
Of their development determined. The
conditions at this time Is that Delaware
has no senatorial representatives at
Washington The Sun has said that this
-.'.s.l rr..,n n disregard for law
characteristic Of the case III each u ITS
phases, or stages Of development White
this is generally conceded us ii applies IL
the asc III the aggregate ii is doubtful
if the people generally have correct
idea Of how persistent was the Disregard
Of tfc law, and how farhow high il
reached. The phase Of the matter most
easily recalled, and mos naturally re-
gardr3 Us showing disregard fer law is
that Of the return board incident in
kcrt county Fortunate indeed you'd ii
have hceu II the apparent sanction VI
that revolutionary proceeding had been
confined TO those tniinS an active part
in its promotion That it involved the
courts Of the State will, we think, be
admittc,. everywhere that III lis develop
ment one Of the courts Of the State was
destroyed. ana that the court made tu
succeed the one destroyed was prev cntcd
from meeting until rs action. Which was
plainly fOreshaaOwC1, would be neffrct-
ual, is 4 natter of record. L., this pre-
vcntiun the people, resource far the cor
rection Of the eyil--fpr prt'frating thn
outrage intended in the rrtunbnard rryo-
LUTON was destroyed. fhr question
that suggests itself il considering these
facts II The ease, II, was this prevention
in accord With, or in opposition to and
disregard for law?
Conccdng that the forms of law wnrc
observed the results show that thr pur-
pose Of the law-the base !aH-was
avoided. The purpose of lle law hripG
the maintrnanrc d justice. aStatrcannot
frame injustice into Fundamental law
Where injustice results the action must
be III opposition 10 I'll" law. W. "a moi
think anyone will maintain that tn" ~
suit Of the rrturnhoard revolution, and
the subsequent litigation was just hence
we assume that the whole proceeding
Notwithstanding III" FORMS that were Oh
served, was in violation of law. Bin
how The means for tie correction oi
tHt ~ " lIlllE IItHl''llltl'h were Ut uduu
Tho court iii which the mandanuS cast
resulting from the return board rryuu
tiolt was aftcrwari settled existed, anl
SO far rs tins fundamental Inv Of th,
State Is concerned was authorized 10 hral
and decide hr case. II will be- remcm
hercd that the new constitution of III,
State was promulgated on June 4, 1897
and that the Supreme Court Ia whict
the case was transferred By the conStitu
ton did not sit in its first session ful
nearly year after the new constitution
went int effect. AT that first sitting ii
the court it made a decision which il
made within six months after thc prom
ulgatiun Of the constitution. would have
defeated the intent Of the revolution
Why was that decision delayed? Wa,
1t necessary and unavoidable or was il
deliberate and intended 10 further the
purpose Of the revolution which was
clearly 70 prevent the election Of
United States Senator by legislator,
chosen by the people Of the State at the
poIls and under the laws or the State
1t prevented that election. and incident a i