Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-12-04

under the existing law ana with the
existing state Of public opinion which
so profoundly influences both Tire courts
and iuries. has been done but the laws
themselves need strengthening. They
should he made more definite. So that
no honest man can be led unwittingly
to break them and so that the real
wrongdoer can be readily punished.
Moreover. there must he the public
opinion back Of the laws or the laws
themselves will be of no avail. The
two great evils in the execution Of our
criminal laws today are sentimentality
and technicality. For the latter the
remedy must come from the hands Of
the legislatures the courts and the law
yers. The other must depend FOR its
cure upon the gradual growth of a
sound public opinion which shall insist
that regard for the law and the de
mands of reason shall control all other
Influences and emotions in the jury
box Both of these evils must be re-
moved or public discomfort with the
criminal law vii continue.
Injunctions.
Instances of abuse in the granting
of injunctions in labor disputes con
| tinue to occur, and the resentment in
the minds of those who feel that their
rights are being invaded and their lib
erty Of action and of speech unwar-
rantably restrained continues likewise
to grow. Much of the attack on the
use of the process of injunction is
wholly without warrant, but am con
strained to express the belief that for
some of it there Is warrant This ques-
ton is becoming one of prime impOr
| lance; and unless the courts will deal
with it in effective manner it is GER
tain ultimately to demand some form
of legislative action 1t would be most
unfortunate for our social welfare If
we should permit many honest and
law abiding citizens to feel that they
had just cause for regarding our courts
with hostility. | earnestly commend
to the attention of the congress this
matter, SO that some way may he de
vised which will limit the abuse of in
functions and protect those rights
which from time to time it unwarrant-
ably invades Moreover, discomfort is
often expressed with the use of the
process of injunction by the courts,
not only in labor disputes. but where
state laws are concerned | refrain
from discussion of this question rs |
am Informed that IT will soon receive
the consideration OF the supreme court
The process of Injunction is an es
Iii,
| work well, and as preventive measures
are always better than remedial the
wise use of this process is from every
standpoint commendable But where
| it is reckessiy or unnecessarily used
the abuse should be censured, above
all by the very men who are properly
anxious to prevent any effort to shear
the courts of this necessary power
The courts decision must be final The
protest is only against the conduct Of
individual judges in needlessly antici-
pating such final decision or in the
tyrannical use of what Is nOmnaly
temporary injunction to accomplish
what is in fact permanent decision
The president urges the passage Of
model employers liability act for the
District OF Columbia and the territories
to encourage corporations to treat IN
jured wageworkers better. He en-
phatically indorscS the eight hour day
The president urges the states to
fight the child and woman labor evil
He says:
The national government has rs an
ultimate resort for control of child Ia
Dor the use of the interstate commerce
clause TO prevent the products of child
labor from entering into Interstate com
merce. But before using this it ought
certainly to enact model laws on the
subject for the territories under its
own immediate control.
Presidential Campaign Expenses.
Under our form OF government vOt-
ing is not merely a right but duty,
and, moreover, a fundamental and nee
essary duty If man is TO be good
citizen 1t is we'll TO provide that cor
porations shall not contribute to preSi-
dental or national campaigns and, fur
thermore. to provide for the publica-
ton of both contributions and eXpendi-
lures. There is, however. always dan
ger in laws of this kind, which FROM
their very nature are difficult OF en-
forcement, the danger being lest they
be obeyed only by the honest and dis
obeyed by the INSCRIPTIONS, 50 as to
act only as penalty upon honest lnca
Moreover no such law would hamper
an unscrupulous man of unlimited
means from buying his own way into
office There is Il very radical meas
ure which would. | believe. wor!; 4
substantial Improvement in our SyS-
tenn OF conducting campaign. NJ
though | am we'll aware that il viii
take some time for people SO To fanii.-
larize themselves with such proposal
rs to be willing 10 consider its adop-
ton. The need for collecting lars"