Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-11-29
Our Government and Its Judiciary

prone 1o attach t,n great import
dncr Ia new opinions. Just wiIrr"
10 strike thu. guj,N u,";n from
which Ia develops sound argument .
on matters "f treat moment l. not
always an easy task.
In l1S1. at Philadelphia. a con
l,utiun composed uf fifty five men
met iur til, purpose of formulatlnGa
constitution James Madison and
JalnrS Wilson. men of intellectual
weight. tried To get Il provision in
serted in that instrument allowing
the courts 10 pass upon the cunStI-
nationality of congressional or lrgiS-
lafivc cnactmcntS. bat it was vigor-
ouSly opposed. and never obtained
favor with more than one fourth of
the members in attendance There
is not a line in the Federal Constitu-
ton giving any such power 10 the
courts Eminent writer's and states
men maintain if it had been sup
posed the instrument might have
been So construed it would not have
received the sanction of Il single State:
although this power has been as
summed by the courts. 1t is not SO
IN any other country. In Great
| t,.,t ,,, Of
prcmr, courts cannot arrest its opcr-
alton. The last litigation concern
Ing income tax legislation by Con-
grcss is familiar to the greater pro-
portion of the minds of the Ameri-
can people. One Judge was able to
reverse the Legislative and judicial
polity of this country of more than a
ccntury'S growth. The enactment
passed both branches of Congress
and had been approved by the Presi-
dent. At the first hearing before
the United States Supreme Court
five out of the nine Judges voted to
sustain the law. On rc-hcaring, one
Judge, voting with the majority.
changed his mind. and the will of
seventy millions of people was
thwarted. This nation lost by rea-
son of this ruling, revenues amount
ing to more than one hundred mil
lions of dollars yearly. More than
one-fourth of the revenues of Great
Britain are collected by taxing the
rich, and why should the policy be
reversed in country having popu-
lation favoring such law?
If the President or Congress make
mistakes, the people have the OPP
portunity of righting matters at the
polls in 4 few years. but Supreme
Judges are appointed for life. The
only way to get rid of them is by i'm
parchment, which would be IN i'm
possible process and prove barren
remedy. The conclusion seems ire
slstiblc that our government is lodged
in brains of five old gentlemen, and
the art of governing is conferred upon
the selection of five lawyers TO sit
upon our highest Federal tribunal.
1t may not be surprising that 4
strong demand will sweep over the
country Omakc all Judges elective.
The people are becoming weary over
an excess of Capitalization of Federal
power.
lMPRIsoNEDINAN VAULT. Six young
women Stcnographers, employed by
the American Steel and Wire Co., in
Chicago, had a terrifying experience
one day last week, when they were
enclosed in an air-tight vault by the
prank of a mischicvous oflice-boy,
who completed his work by turning
on the combination. The only per-
son possessing the key was absent at
lunch, and the happy chorus of the
romping girls Immediately turned
into walls of distress. A girl on the
outside soon finding the janitor and
securing pick-aXc and crOwbar, the
twain by united effort soon made a
hole through the wall, through which
air was admitted just as suffocation
seemed to be the lot of them all. Mr..
Pratt. who had the combination. was
then sought and soon appeared and
opened the door to the frightened
and suffering women. Fortunate it
is that the vault was of such plastic
material, even though it may cause
some depOSitOrs to doubt the safety
of so-callcd fire and burglar-proof
walls to resist an attack of even so
crude tools as pick-axc and crowbar.
PLAN To PREVENT RACE-SrIcIDE.-
At last President Roosevelt's idea of
encouragement for racial develop
mcnt, is finding a practical solution
by the active agency.of the Little
Mothers Society, instituted by Mrs.
Clarence Burns, of New York, who
has developed 4 plan for increase of
births in that State. She advocates
the encouragement of young couples
to raise families. In q press dis
patch of last Friday, she is reported
as saying, L would suggest a list of
prizes for mothers, and even 90 so
far as to find suitable husbands for
girls of manageable age who are not
yet wives. There should be public
treasury which could be drawn upon.
If need be, for mothers who are too
poor to furnish comforts for their
children.