La Junta tribune., 1912-06-15

TO redress social and Industrial evils.
Again and again earnesi workers for
social justice have said TO me that the
most serious obstacles that they have
encountered during the many yeArs
that they have been trying to save
American women and children from
destruction In American industry have
been the courts That IL the iucg.
ment Of almos, all the social workers
! know and OF dozens OF parish
priests aud Clergy and Of every
executive and legislator who has been
seriously attempting TO use govern.
meut as an agency for social and In
dustrial betierment Wha, 10 the ~
suit OF this system OF Judicial null!n-
cation7 II Vas accurately stated BY
the court OF appeals Of New York In
the employees liability case. where II
was calmly and judicialiy declared
that the people under our republican
government are less free to correct
. the evils that oppress them than are
the peopl. OF the II onarchies Of Eu-
rup. To any man with vision. to any
man with broad and real social sympa-
thies. to any man who believes with
I all his heart In this great democratic
republic OF ours. such a condition b
intolerable II IL not government By
the people. but mere sham govern
m.nt. In which the will Of the people
is constantly defeated. II 10 out q
this experience that my remedy has
come. and let II be tried In this Geld.
When as the result OF his educAti0a
and debate a majority OF the people
have decided upon a remedy for ~
evil from which they suffer and have
chosen legislature and executive
pledged TO .mbody that remedy in Law
and the Law has been finally passed
and approved | regard II ~ mon
strous tha, bench OF judges shall
then say TO the people: You must
begin all over again. First. amend
your constitution (which will take four
years.. second secure the passage Of
a new law (which will take two years
morel: third. carry that new Law
over the weary course OF litigation
(which win take no human being
knows how longl: fourth. submit the
whole matter over again TO the very
same Judges who have rendered the
decision 10 which you object. Then.
II your patience holds out and you
nnaIly prevail. ihe VIII Of the ma jor-
10y oi the people may have Its way
Such system Is not popular govern
m'ut. but mere mockery OF popular
government u is system framed
90 maintain and pcrpetuate social
injustice. and q. can be defended only
by those who disbelieyc in the people.
Ho~ Have pireren, Meanings.
The decisions OF which we com.
plain are. ns rule. based upon the
constitutional provision that no per
son shall be deprived Of life. ib.ftY
or property without due process Of
Law. The terms life. liberty Rui
property have been used in the COZ.
stitutions OF the English speaking peo
Piles since Magma Charta
Until within the last sixty years
they were treated as having speolho
meanings; property meant tangible
property: liberty meant freedoms
from personal restraint. or. In othes
words. from Imprisonment, In IT, arg.
est definition About 1870 our court
began TO attach to these terms neu
meanings. now property has come %
mean every right OF value which Q
/ person could enjoy. and liberty Las
been made to include the res, TO max
contracts As result. when a stats
limits the hours for which women nav
labor. II is told by the courts that Ills
Law deprives them Of their liberty
and when II restricts the manuia uro
OF tobacco In II tenement. II n toh
tha, the Law deprives the landlord a
his property Now. I do not believe
that any people and especially oue
free American people. will long ooop
sent that the term liberty shall b. -
nn~d for them by q bench of judssA
Every people has defined that t.ru
Tor Itself In the courss Of It's dc,.lon
ment. Friends. our task as Ameet
cans, Is TO strive for social and indus
trial justice. achieved through thA
genuine rule Of the people Th, y
our end. our purpose The m.,hoAe
Tor achieving the end are merely -.
p~di~nss TO b. nnally accepted or ~
jecsed according ~ actual .Iperieuso
shows that they work well or III
10 Gut IN Instrument
The leader for the time being w.
ever he may BE-. 10 but an instrut. a
TO b used uatii broken and then -
- cast Aside anA ~ ~ IL ~ox. -.
salt he will care no more when h. =
broken than . soldier cares when -
10 sent where his life 10 forfeit, In -
DER that the victory may be won n
the long night for rish,eousn.ss ~
ss'ch~ord for oil Of us Is spend ~
be spent II 10 Of little matter whs<h.
ef any one man fails or succeeds ~
th" esn'e shall no, fail. for 4, ia ~
cause OF mankind. We. here In Amee.
I Ia hx.i. la. A. a