The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1901-06-06
WASHINGTON.
From Our Regular Correspondent.


decisions OF the u. S. Supreme Court,
and 1t will stand the extraordinary
and contradictory decisions handed
down last week IN the insular cases.
Although for the time these decisions
give the administration a free hand
in carrying out its imperialistlc colon
lal policy, they will doubtless make
enough Democrat votes among the
serious minded, who believe Congress
to be the creature of the Constitution,
instead Of the Constitution being the
football of Congress, as the principal
one of these decisions practically holds
1t to be, to elect the next President.
There is not the slightest doubt that
a majority-a vast majority-of the
people OF this country regard the con-
stltutlon as the best protection of their
liberties, and to doubt that they will
resent its being juggled with in order
to make 1t meet the exigencies of the
Mckinley administration is to doubt
their intelligence. Democrats, of
course, regret that this decision was
made, but they find consolation in the
belief that it will result in fastening
the return to power of the Democratic
party, which has ever been the de-
fender Of the Constitution and be-
lever in its strict construction.
Senator Bailey, of Texas, who has
an established reputation as an able
exponent of the Constitution, said of
the insular decision of the U. S.
Supreme Court: "The decision is GER
tainly bad enough, but it is not so
bad as the administration papers are
claiming. The friends of the admin
istraton are congratulating themselves
much too early if they think the de-
clsion relieves them from the embar-
rassment of constitutional restriction
in dealing with our new possessions.
They will find the question Of taxation
one of the least among the perplexi-
ties oil colonial policy; and they can
only carry out their plans for govern
ing these island by setting aside other
and greater constitutional provisions.
The Court apt to find that the next
case will not furnish it with subter-
tuge like "I'he United States" to
which 1t can limit constitutional
guarantees. 1t will be compelled
sooner or later to meet the proposition
as to whether Congress can enact
laws for these insular possessions
which are contrary to the express
inhibitions of the Constitution. The
decision, standing by itself, will be-
come the source of endless mischief
and confusion. But its harm will not
end there. Following so closely upon
the decision in the income tax case,
it will inevitably convince the people
that the Supreme Court of the U. S.
holds the laws of Congress constitu-
tional or unconstitutional, according
as it deems them wise or unwise.
With the wisdom of the law the Court
properly has no concern, and its only
inquiry ought to be whether the law
is or is not constitutional For many
years this rule was followed by the
Court, and then its decisions were
respected by all men; but l regret to
say that at this time the conviction is
almost universal in the public mind
that the most important decisions are
political rather than judicial"
| Presidential booms have been be-
fore now constructed of flimsy material
but nothing was ever flimsier than the
material out of which a few Repub-
licans are trying to build a boom fol
Senator Foraker-the decision of the
Supreme Court that the Foraker Porte
Rico tariff act is constitutional. There
is one unsurmountable obstacle te
Foraker's getting the republican nom
ination for President-Hanna. Ham;
wants that nomination himself, bu
even if he didn't he would not allow
Foraker to get it. Although the ex
igencies of Ohio politics have made i
necessary that the two men should b'
openly on friendly terms, it is an oper
secret that Hanna hates Foraker, an(
the republican machine will have t'
undergo radical changes before any
man can get the party nomination tol
President against Hannas wishes. He
may not be able to get 1t himself
democrats are afraid to hope that the,
will be favored with so much goot
luck-but he will be able to defea
any other candidate and probably t'
name the mar. So the Foraker boon
may be recorded as having diec
a-borning.
Much interest is felt in Washington
IN the Tillman-McLauvin fight il