Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-02-26
SENATE RED LIGHTS.
When They Shine, August Body Is
in Secret Session.
What Happens Then Behind the
WeIl-Guarded Doors Nobody
Gets to Know, Except in
Isolated Cases.
Especial Washington letter.

- government OF ours is u1Vlueo
into three branches, which are
equal in power under the con-
stitution. The executive, meaning the
president. who controls all of the exec
utive departments; the Legislative IN
Guiding the senate and house OF repre-
sentatives, and the judicial, which
means the supreme court.
The executive and legislative
branches of the government are elect
ed by the people; but the supreme
court is composed Of individuals ap-
pointed by the president, and confirmed
by the senate. Consequently, the
supreme court is farthest removed
from the people, although it is, and
always has been, the safe conservator
of the rights of the people under their
constitution. 1t was the purpose OF
the trainers of the constitution to give
to the people ever1astingly the right
to choose their own president and
legislators; but, with wise discretion,
they removed from the direct power
of popular impulse, the great judicial
ment of the people, by the people and
for the people, the supreme court is
free from the Immediate power of the
people.
Of course, the people elect their presi-
dents, and those presidents nominate
judges of the supreme court. OF
course, the people, through their legis-
latures, elect the senator's who con-
firm the judicial nominations, which
are made by the president; but when
those judges are installed they are SO
far removed from the people that their
judgments are free from any politi-
cal influence whatever. On this ac-
count, mainly, the decisions of the
supreme court have universally been
commended by fair minded men of all
political affiliations. Even the famous
bred Scott decision is admitted to
have been an absolutely correct in
depreciation of the constitution; be-
cause the constitution, unamended.
gave the negro mo rights which white
man was bound to respect" Even the
amended constitution does not compel
that respect which was intended to be
compelled, because there has always
been lack of vigor in the enforce
ment of the amendments and of the
civil rights statute.
1t has become the duty of President
Roosevelt to select two justices of the
supreme court, and those selections
have met with popular approval, as
well as senatorial consent. Other
presidents have had great difficulty,
at times, in selecting for these impor-
tant positions men whose nominations
were wholly in accord with the views
of a majority of the senator's.
The nominations sent to the senate
by the presidentare always considered
in executive session; and what SEN
ators say when all of the doors are
closed cannot be ascertained by the
general public. In those sessions the
statesmen talk very freely, and vent
their views without always maintain
ing that decorum of demeanor and that
courtesy to each other, which are pro-
verbal when the senate is in public
session.
When the senate is in executive
session red light appears over the
closed doors. 1t is a nest of electric
lights dimly shining through scarlet
bulbs, the whole enclosed in a ground
glass bulb which is blood red. In
other cities the red lights are signif-
cant of other conditions; while here,
in the temple of national legislation
over the entrances of the Sanhedrim
of the chosen ones. the red light in