Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-09-20
A PLAIN STATEMENT OF THE CASE.
The Man Who Set Aside a State Govern
ment
:. r Examiner

In all the talk about the North
Carolina conflict certain simple and
primary facts seem to have been
ovcrlookcd
The entire trouble in that State
arose over the fact that police
justice tried to put into Jail some cor
poratiOn agents who were breaking
the law. Now, that is exactly what
the American people long have de-
manded. College presidents, In
terState Commerce Commissioners,
prominent politicians and lcgions of
smaller folk have said. and have re-
peatcd, that the one hope of the
country wis To treat trust criminals
just like other criminals and send
them to prison.
But when the North Carolina JUS
tice tried to follow this sensible
advice, although nobody's property
by the strong arm of the Federal
judiciary. The Federal Judge has
not bothered the police Justice when
he tried to deal with any other Grim
inal, but the moment he laid his hand
on the sacred person of trust Grim
inal-Or. rather, that of Il trust Grim
inals innocent proxy there was
trouble.
The man who thus intcrfcrcd with
the course of justice in North Coro-
lima was United States Circuit Judge
Pritchard-Jeter G. Pritchard. to Ee
exact. When he examined the State
railroad rate law, Judge Pritchard
did not like it, and issued !; blanket
injunction to prevent all the State
officers and State courts from put
ting it into effect.
1t was pursuant to this blanket in
junction that he released the railroad
agents and declared the rate law un-
constitutional.
Owing to the prominence into
which he has been brought by his
manner of breaking n Federal law
and walking all over the Legislature,
the Governor and the courts of Il
sovereign State, it may be interesting
to find out just who and what Judge
Pritchard is.
Until 1887 he was one of the editors
of the Roam G"""ty R'publiro", in
North Carolina, In 1897. at the age
of thirty, he was admitted to the bar
and began practice at Marshall, Mad
ison county. where, his biography
says. he soon became a prominent
and active citizen"
In time Mr.. Pritchard became so
prominent that ne was elected n
member of the Legislature, and after
that he was an unsuccessful candidate
for Lieutenant Governor, Congress
and Presidential Elector. There are
not many Republicans in North Caro-
lima. In 1892 Mr.. Pritchard was the
caucus nominee of his party for
United States Senator. Two years
later the PopuliSts had sprung into
prominence and Marion Butler want
ed to go to the Senate. To do SO he
had to make tie-up with the Repub
licans. Pritchard, having had the
empty honor two years before, row
demanded the real one, and, with
Buffers help. got it. He served in
the Senate until 1908. after which he
was made Judge in the District of
Columbia and in 1901 was appointed
to his present position rs Judge of
the United States Circuit Court.
AS to Pritchard's S law practice, it
is known that he acted as attorney
for the Southern Railroad Company,
the line chiefly affected by the law
that Pritchard has attempted to set
aside.
This is the man who by his own
simple fiat has tried to set aside the
law of n sovereign State. His course
aroused such storm that the South
ern Railroad arranged for an easy
backdOwn by withdrawing its re-
quest for an injunction. But his de-
cision that State law is unconstitu-
tiOnal still stands.
We will make no comment on Judge
Pritchard and his decision to-day.
We are content to quote the written
words of Judge William p. Porter,
of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court,
and one of the ablest jurists in the
country.
There is no tyranny in this
country to-day so bad as that as eX-
ercised by the Federal judges. They
are constantly interfering with that
which does not concern them