The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1908-10-29
The Supreme
Court
WHY IT HAS FORFEITED THE
CONFIDENCE OF SOME DEM.
ocRATs.

Il Has stood for Law and Order and
Honest Elections and Fined
Patterson.
One Of the main issues presented
to the voters of Colorado in this cam
paign Is the Supreme Court of the
state. The Democrats in their plat
form have declared officially that this
court "has forfeited the con-
hdence and respect of the
people of Colorado" Such a declar-
alton has probably never before been
made In any platform adopted by any
party In any state in the Union. 1t is
worthy therefore, OF mature consider
alton.
No reasons are given In the Demo-
cratic platform for the assertion that
the Supreme Court has forfeited the re-
spect and confidence of the people.
Those reasons must therefore be in
ferred from the acts and decisions of
the Supreme Court, and especially dur
ing the last four years, and from the
assertions of the Democratic party, as
made through its newspapers and by
Its orators during that period.
These three reasons are evident:
1. The court helped to suppress the
Western Federation rebellion.
2. The court put the big Nit" out
Of business in Denver, and made hon
est elections possible.
8. The court fined Senator Patter-
son for contempt.
The great bulk of the cases which
come before the Supreme Court are en-
tirely non-political, and with those,
there is no concern in a political cam
paign. The three particular matters
mentioned above are those in which
the decisions of the Supreme Court
have been, from the nature Of the case.
Of more or less political complexion,
and these have been offensive to the
Democratic party as the opinion of that
party has been voiced in its newspa-
pers. and especially in those controlled
by Senator Thomas M. Patterson.
The Meyer Case.
The first of these cases was that
entieled the Meyer case. At the time this
case originated, the Democratic party
was in alliance with the Western Fed
Grafton Of Miners, of which Mr.. Chas.
H. Meyer was and is now president.
An armed insurrection against the au-
thority Of the state OF Colorado haG
been melted, and the legal authorities
In several counties OF the state had
been superseded by violent means. In
San Miguel county. particularly. Mr..
Meyer had been active in melting In
surrection and In causing the seizure
Of property by men who were not its
owners. The state of Colorado.
through Its governor, had declared a
state OF insurrection and rebellion in
that county and had instructed the
proper officers to apprehend Mr.. Meyer
and keep him in confinement. A writ
of habeas corpus was sued out, and SO
far from this writ having been denied
or annulled, as was claimed then and
afterwards by Mr.. Patterson through
his newspapers and by other Democrat
tc papers. the body Of Mr.. Meyer was
produced before the Supreme Court in
Denver, and a hearing was had in
which he was represented by his coun-
sci. After such hearing. and upon the
representation made by counsel for
the state that his continued liberty
would be menace to the peace and
order Of the community, and that in or
der to preserve law and order in San
Miguel county, 1t was necessary that
he should be held in confinement, he
was remanded by the court to the GUS
tody of the legal officers and was there
after for some time, held by them in
confinement.
"shaiI the People Rule"
At that tirIe-and this was only four
years ago An organized effort was
made to subvert the legally constituted
authorities of the state, and practically
the question at issue was whether the
governor and the legally constituted
authorities were to exercise the func-
tons of government or whether those
functions were to be exercised by the
president and other officers OF the
Western Federation Of Miners. In sew
eral counties OF the state. notably in
San Miguel county, property had been
destroyed by DYNAMITE; men had been
murdared and driven away by violent