The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-06-03

4 Cdi OptAOh VI pIOuAblJAOH. AutJ al
+ the issues declared By our forefatherl
I in the Revolution. They are the great
est issues that could concern a free
people Has anybody coerced the jul
dietary No! l thank God, they
haven't. And they never will But
I they have tried to. And they would
have done it If Shields, Beard and
Neil hadn't stood true. They stood
for the people and gave up certain
assurance of reelection to make a
fight for a free judiciary, and we ought
to erect a monument to their memory
(great applause).
81 am not fox. am an unletter-
ed and unlearned man from the noun,
tains, plain OF speech and saying
what / think. But I can tell the
truth as good as any man or anybody.
! fought nearly four years against OPP
preston and tyranny, and I am fight
ing still, and no man shall ever weld
the shackles on my arms without a
fight.
Let's see who is right and who IL
wrong In this struggle. Some one nay
cry peace, but there can be no peace
until we have liberty, both political
and personal. Shall we have free
and untrammelled an independent ju-
dietary? They made light Of that.
Now listen what Thomas Jefferson
said, and there amt any doubt about
Jefferson's Democracy. He said, IAN
independent judiciary is the foremost
bulwark OF our government And to-
try to trammel that judiciary is q
crime against the constitution, the
law and the people.
Corrupt Courts
"They tell you that we don't need
a free judiciary. Let US look into the
records of the past, and see what cor
rupt and trammelled courts Rave
lone. A judicial tribunal made Socra-
les, the greatest man of his times. to
rink the fatal hemlock. The iniqui- |
les of the Spanish Inquisition we're
by corrupt courts. In
.hese days human beings were hung |
Ind Quartered because they didn't be-
ieve that the earth revolved around |
he sun. Corrupt courts were respon-
iible. They didn't do these things by
mob law. every act had the sanction
Il the courts. When our government
vas founded, to get rid of priesthood
ur forefathers decreed that the
hurch and state should be separate,
nd to get rid Of tyranny three sepa-
ate and distinct but coordinate de-
artments Of government were estab-
Ished. So jealous were they Of the
lights Of the judiciary that the con-
titution provided the Justices Of the
upreme court should be appointed for
fe. That was keeping them out OF
olitics, wasn't It? II
what did the state do. Up until
D53 the members Of the supreme
ourt were elected by the Legislature. {
t that time an amendment to the I
gave he people the power /
, elect. It was deemed wise that the I
lstices should be chosen by the peo- I
lie at a separate election, and for b
leir worth and merit, and not in the d
eat and haste of partisan contest. t
On the Watch Tower d
$50 long as I have breath in my a
'dy and courage in my heart I am r
,ing to stand on the watch tower II
Id cry aloud The danger Of this in a
dious attack upon the power Of the b
ee people If had the time and b
e inclination might dckle your fan .
in way that perhaps the red fox .
sn't done, but there are graver y
ings to be said In the days when X
hnson, Harris. Brown and Truus- n
lie, and other great leaders we're at N
g party helm in Tennessee they IL
yer called a convention for the nom x
alton Of members of the supreme X
urt but that they called 1t separate x
apart from the convention that ~
minated the governor and other N
ndidates. II is left for machine, N
the first time since the foundation "
the American government, TO Gem IS
/ this great wrong against the peo- "
. And this machine Is headed by "
} same man who but few years ago n
Mt up and down throughout your N
r state crying that Cox must be de- "a