Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1902-10-17
OLNEY ORA WIS a MORAL.

OLNEY ORA WIS a MORAL.
The following address TO the Democracy
OF Massachusetts was recently delivered by
ex-Secretary Olney, at dinner given In
honor OF the party's nominee for Governor,
Mr.. CASTOR.
II welcome the opportunity to declare my
belief not only that the Democratic party lie
now heading In the right direction and is
tolerably sure Of ultimately recovering It's
old'time ascendency, but that this result lie
esst initial TO the welfare OF the American
people. There is one aspect of the present
situation TO which desire TO briefly call
your attention.
1.-THE vital principle, as well as distin.
gushing merit, of our political institutions
consists in liberty regulated by law. With
the exception of the two Cleveland admin.
istratlons, the Republican party has been
10 control Of the national Government for
period of more than 40 years. Where II
has landed Us as respects liberty will not
now consider. But where has it landed us
as respects law, which has no right TO the
name unless 1t is the same for the million.
aire and for the beggarH
"The signs Of the times are that under the
regime OF the Republican party aud through
the national Governments 40 years of part
nership with the protected industries we
have come 10 pass where public officials.
as well as private citizens, deem themselves
above the law.
witness the Jealous haste with which the
Treasury rushed to the relief of Wall stree,
geGnlaiatg by a novel add forced o. .strur
t'on Of the hatt3os Banking isr Witne.s
the astonishing processing Of IN anne &c
psTtment m rs .--.4 SOsions 70 subordinate
officers respecting the duties TO be collected
on coal.
but the generally lawless atmosphere In
which protected Republican reign has en-
veloped Us Is even more strikingly illus.
Irated by the recent Presidential demon.
stration upon the coal strike. There are
those who say that as the President dis
claimed any official duty or relation to the
matter, he should not have inlerfered -
There Is something 10 be said for that view
Though his Office lie charged with great
functions and invested with great powers, the
President Is q constitutional officer, whose
sphere OF action is strictly limited by law.
within that sphere he is we'll nigh absolute :;
without, he is legally impotent. When.
therefore. he goes without the danger il
that nc may fail and be defied, and that his
great Office may lose prestige and power and
thus be less capable OF performing It's legiti
mate duties
"The President, for example, is our rep.
res.entative with foreign powers viii II
strengthen his hands that some hall dozen
private citizens are found swapping their
fingers In his face The Presidents overture
TO the coal operators was prompted by the
best motives and should have been treated
with respectful consideration. 1t should
have been declined courteously even il
firmly.
but the opportunity 10 administer snub
70 the President was too tempting Accord
ingly, he was not only treated as rash in
termeddler; he was also lectured upon the
law and iacts oil the case aud, To crown all,
was notified that the cause of the trouble
Was lawlessness, which he was sarcastically
invited To suppress.
"For sheer audacity this attitude of the
coal operators could hardly be matched and
nothing could more strongly emphasize the
dlsrepute into which the law OF the land
has been brought by long continued Repub.
lican domination.
"Yet, who are they who were so insisteut
upon the suppression OF lawlessness 10 the
mining regonsS Why, the most unit ushins
and persistent OF lawbreakers. For wears
they have dehed the law Of Pennsy vania
which iorbIds common carriers engaging In
tue business Of mining For years they have
Disseminated between customers in the
freight charges on their railroads In viola.
ton OF the Interstate Commerce law. For |
years they have unlawfully monopollzed In |
terstate commerce in violation OF the Sher- |
man Antitrust law. Indeed, the very best
excuse and explanation OF their astonishing |
attitude at the Washington conference is
tnat, having violated 80 many laws /.
long and 30 many times, they might right. /
fully think they were wholly immune nom
either punishment or reproach.
at is sometimes urged In extenuauon Of
the coal operators ioolishly offensive tone
al the conference that they were enragss
al the recognition Of labor unions aod The
presence by invitation Of their represents.
tive. II that be so they must be as blind 10
the salient facts Of the era they art living 10 Z
US they are oblivous OF legal obligations
"In these days Of combination by capils'
on q scale and TO an extent as slartlng AZ
1t is unprecedented can they possibly Gag
ine that labor Ia to be denied an equivalent
right OF combination II they do, ii Is only
another instance OF their complete inc fr
ence 10 the law OF the land.
"In 1894 receivers Of a railroad were
brought into court on a claim that laboDu
ought not TO be discharged because Of mem
bershlp in labor union. Though the court
was Federal court II sat 10 PennsylyAlia,
md the petitioners got pothing from lhs,