The Delta independent., 1904-10-28
DEPORTATION
BY JUDGE OVERS
Open Letter No. 7.


To the Hon. Alva Adams:
Dear sir-"Each of you il ordered to
leave town.
How does this order sound to you!
II sounds very much like depo, tation.
does II not?
h there anything in 1t that suggests
q violation Of the constitutional rights
of American citizens!
In the most specific terms that It is op-
posed to the banishment OF citizens:
that any Organization or government"
that would deny amy citizen" lob
serve. please. that it says ANY citizen)
the right TO live where Interests or In
cIination may determine" should be
''summariiy rebuked and punished?
Here Is specific instance of deporta-
ton that. needs your early attention.
II you have read the cons titution and
believe the Democratic platform. you
must agree that the person who issued
the above order was acting without
specific constitutional authority. II
you know Of anything in the conEtitu-
ton that would permit an officer In
time Of peace to issue such an order
- this. you should point to II without
delay. because there is general i'm
preston abroad that your IDEAS of
Justice are all tangled up upon this
deportation matter.
According to your public utterances.
and those Of your ahes Of the Western
Federation of Miners. who are spend
ing tens of thousands OF dollars for
speakers 10 slander the people OF Colo
rado throughout the United States.
tha order. whether promulgated by th.
civil or military authorities. would be
denounced as an outrageous attack
upon the rights OF domicile-an unpar-
donabis onense against the natural
and legal rights Of American citizens.
The man who uttered II would be
brande, as q heart,ess tyrant. or per
haps 4 hired Hsssian OF the capitalis-
tic class." or something equally As
political allies Of yours know that this
order was issued by that paragon OF
populistic virtue. by that illustrions
champion Of ,nhuman liberty. who
stands ready to biesd. II necessary.
When tae constitutional rights OF the
iawiess arc in danger-JudEe Frank
O~ers-both you and your Socialisic
political companions promptly lose
Jour voice.
II seems strange that Judge Owers
would decline the Populist nomination
and advise the Populists to vote fos
yos ta ORD % puniah Governor Pea
body bscasse of tns dsportatsoas af
Cripple Greek. knowing all the while
that be. himseif-Judge Owers-this
new Socialist eonscrtpt Of yours. has
beeo guilty of many similar offenSes
In lIeadville: but such Ia the case. and
here 10 one Of his orders Of banish-
ment- issued on January Tth Of this
year:
Each Of you 10 ordered to leave town
I ~iu give you ample time. and II you
are found IN the city after that time
you will bs ordered into this court and
nned."
And now. Governor. prepare for the
shock. These deportees Of your friend
Owen were not big. strong men.
equipped to struggle with the world.
but poor unfortunate women. Isn't II
dreadful. when you stop to think OF 1t!
No, that they were deported. because
II Is Just a. necessary to protect
community against undesirable charac-
ters OF one sex as another. but 10
think that this constitutional lawyer
this self-appointed guardian OF consti,
tu,ional liberty. up there on the spine
of the Republic. who is now trottins
along in your class. should be the
guilty party!
When he got to these cases Nos
1889 to 1861. inclusive. against Lou
Brooks, Edna Faulker. Lola Courtney
Minnie Warren and Ethel Saunders
dance hall artiSies. he appreciated thai
he had encountered one Of those "es.
trnordinary emergencies" referred to
in my letter OF week ago. which re
quired him TO 20 beyond the cons,itu
ton In order to do Justice to the com
munity. And he did the some sensible
thing that the people Of Teller county
| did.
What do you think about this action
Of Judge Overs!
| Ia II possible, with all your expert
cnce as a public man and rs law
maker. that you are without views
| upon the consttutionaiity Of deporta
,ious by the civil authorities.
II not, you should give your views Al
once upon this question. because people
are really beginning to think that you
are afraid to tackle It..
Judge Overs said to the unfortunate
whom he banished:
81 would not work = hardship upon
you that was syoldabie, but believe
this town needs REFORM"
Ia this not exactly the same scnti
ment that prompted the deportations
of Cripple Creek'
The people Of Teller county, II the,
had wanted to harm their tormentors
had the full power to do SO: but the.
aid not use t.
" Judge owsrs felt Justified In VIC
iatlns the eonstltution In this manne,