Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-09-09

reorle of the states to elect the state
Judiciary being conceded, has any
good reason ever been advanced why
they should be constitutionally depriv.
ca OF like power to elect United
states Judges? Do not all these
Judges, whether state or federal per.
form similar functions? The misuse
OF the power to appoint United States
Judges Is SO notorious that public con
iidence in the integrity of the federal
bench is being rapidly destroyed. Cor.
poratlons have been so active and SC
successful In getting so many of their
own lawyers upon the bench that the
Whole business is becoming scandal.
lzed. When corporation lawyer gets
on the bench through corporation in.
fuence, he is apt to become a corpor.
alton Judge. His devotion to his
former clients and benefactors does
not cease when he takes the oath
OF office. The public interest seems to
become a secondary consideration, the
promotion of corporate interests be.
ing the controlling factor in the hand.
Ing down of judicial decisions.
Tho Danger Of Federal Usurpatlon.
While democrats rejoice in Presi.
dent Roosevelt's activity in the cause
OF reform. while We have cheered him
on in his crusade against the law
breakers and have supported him in
his noble work with the same degree
OF devotion and loyalty that we would
have given a democratic president,
yet 1t pains us deeply that under his
administration, the federal judiciary
has been encouraged to invade and
nullify the power of State Govern.
ments to protect their people against
corporate injustice. When State Gov.
ernments have acted entirely within
their constitutional rights and State
limits, federal judges have arbitrarily
stepped in and without any evidence.
except the unsupported declaration of
corporation. have suspended the
operation OF State laws, and deposed
from their offices the judicial officers
charged with the execution of these
laws. II this usurpation of the fea>r.
al judiciary is not checked, is not
Wholly abandoned, 1t will ultimately
result in making such weaklings Of
the States, such utterly subordinate
members of the federal union tina.
their identity will cease to be distin.
guishable. AS democrats seeking only
the welfare of all our people, aiming
to cripple no industry, to arrest no
force making for the material prog
ress of the whole country, we cry out
against this wholesale destruction of
local government. We warn all our
fellow citizens in every state to re.
SET. this arbitrary invasion of the
power of their respective common
wealths. If the Iowa legislature by
raw declares that. the maximum pas-
senger fare per. mile shall be two
cents then that Law should be allowed
to stand and be enforced until 1t is de.
clared void by the courts in the regu-
lar way. No mere injunction, based
upon no evidence, should have the
vital power to arrest the execution of
a state law. Other. states have been
treated to this dangerous procedure
and Iowa voters should remember that
we are not immune from this very
same danger. Just in the proportion
that federal power is unduly concen-
trated will true liberty be diminished.
Arbitrary power and true liberty
never were and never will be co-exist-
ent. AS the one is built up the other
will be pulled down. The most sacreo
of all our political ideals is the prin-
ciple of home rule. II we carelessly
surrender 1t nothing short of san
culinary revolution will ever restore
1t. Air to the existence of animal life
is no more essential than home rule
is to truly republican state. In the
poisoned atmosphere of arbitrary
power liberty will not only languish,
but perish. Without the vital essence
of the principles of home rule the
states would soon lapse into the
pitiable condition Of minor dependen-
cies and the proud citizenship of our
people degenerate and take on the
contemplate character of inferiority
and serfdom.
Election Of United States Senators.
The constitutional provision that the
legislatures of the States elect United
States Senators is fast becoming OBJ
solete and should be struck from that
instrument. Aside from the Senators
themselves and interested politicians
and bosses, has a solid reason ever
been advanced why the people should
not elect their representatives in the
upper house precisely as they do their
representatives in the lower house?
Both Senators and Representatives
exercise the same power, delegated
power, both are commissioned by the
people to do the same thing; that is,
to legislate for them. II voter be
qualified to vote directly for one of
these public servants why should he
be declared incompetent to vote for
the other public servant? Why not
exercise the direct voting power in
both cases instead of delegating it to
another person in choosing Senator?
The whole subject becomes clear
when we remember that 1t is in the
Senate where special interests put
their special pleaders. The vigilance
of corporations fills the senate cham
Der with its Aldrichs. Depews and
Platts and when through the power of
downright genius a LaFollette breaks
in, he is treated with such degree
of contempt as to be positively in
famous.
The Future Of Reform Forces.
lively duo uSuOCTdL must rejoice
over the present political situation.
To know that some of his cherished
principles are now conspicuous planks
of the republican platform, to know
that the advocacy Of democratic ideas
has made republican president i'm
mensely popular with all, except the
political bosses and the frenzied finan-
ciers. is, in itself. splendid reward
for his long years of patience and de-
yotion. To watch the democratic mi
crobe crawl into the conscience of
republicans and take possession of
their thinking machinery is spec
tacle SO uncommon, so gloriously i'm
pressive. as to reassure every chronic
doubter that there is yet God of
Israel. Whatever the outcome of the
approaching presidential election the
force of political gravitation will
sweep away every obstacle that now
seems to divide the reform forces.
Kindly fate has, or will. decree, that
the Larrabees. the Cumminses, the
LaFollettes. and the organs and
Roosevelts cannot be kept apart. The
sympathy and power springing from
reform ideas will mot lonu ,ar,pit tic