Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-08-03

mainly. We listen for them in vain
Instead of giving us the benefit O.
any specific remedies for the hard
ships and evils Of society they poin
out, they follow their urgent appeals
for closer association of the people lr
Legislation by an attempt to cultivate
the hostility of the people to the
courts and to represent that they are
in some form unfolding injustice anc
are obstructing the popular will. At
tempts are made to take away al
those safeguards for maintaining the
independence of the judiciary which
are SO carefully framed in our consti
tuition.
The Attacks. on the Courts.
These attempts find expression In
the policy, on the one hand, of the re
call Of judges, a system under which
a Judge whose decision In one case
may temporarily displease the cleo
torate is to be deprived at once of his
office by a popular vote, pernicious
system embodied in the Arizona con.
stitution and which the democrats OF
the house and senate refused to con-
Idemn as the initial policy of a new
state. The same spirit manifested 1t.
self in the vote by democratic senators
on the proposition, first, to abolish the
commerce court, and, second, to abol-
ish judges by mere act of repeal, al
| though under the constitution their
terms are for life, on no ground except
that they did not like some of the
courts recent decisions. Another
form of hostility to the judiciary is
shown in the grotesque proposition by
the leader of former republicans who
have left their party for recall OF
| decisions, so that decision on a
point of constitutional law, having
| been rendered by the highest court
! capable of rendering it, shall then be
submitted to popular vote to deter.
mine whether it ought to be sustained.
Again, the democratic party In con-
| gress and convention shows its desire
! to weaken the courts by forbidding
| the use of the writ Of injunction to
protect a lawful business against the
destructive effect of secondary boy
colt and by lnterposing jury In con-
tempt proceedings brought to enforce
! it's order and DEGREES. These provi.
sions are really class legislation de-
signed to secure immunity for lawless-
! ness in labor disputes on the part OF
the laborers, but operating much more
widely to paralyze the arm OF the
court In cases which do not involve
labor disputes at all. The hostility to
the judiciary and the measures, TO
take away it's power and it's independ'
ence constitute the chief definite pol
! icv that can be fairly attributed to
| that class of statesmen and reformers
whose absorption and control the re-
nublican party escaped at Chicago and
the democratic party yielded to at
| Baltimore.
Republican Party Optimistic.
The republican party stands lot
none of these innovations. 1t refuses
| to make changes simply for the pur'
nose of making change, and cultlVat
inc popular hope that IN the change
something beneficial underlined, VIII
take place. It does not believe tina!
human nature has changed. 1t still
believes that it is possible in this
world that the fruits Of energy. cour.
! ace enterprise. attention to duty, hard
work. thrift, providence, restraint OF
appetite and of passions Will contlnuo
to have their reward under our pres
ent system, and that laz1ness, lack o.
attention. lack of industry. the yielo
ing to appetite and passion. careless
ness, dishonesty, and dlsloyaity WIZ
ultimately find their own punishment
in the world here. We do not deny
that there are exceptions, and tna'
seeming fortune follows Wickednesa
and misfortune follows virtue, but, on
the whole. we are optimists and be
lieve that the rule is the other way
We do not know any way to avoid nu
man Injustice but to perfect our laws
for administering justice, to develoT
the morality of the individual. to give
direct supervision and aid to those
who are. or are likely to be, oppressed
and to give as full scope as possible
to individual effort and it's rewards
Wherever we can see that a statute
which does not deprive any person o.
class Of what is his is going to nell
MANY people, we are in favor OF II
We favor the greatest good to the
greatest number, but we DO not De
iieye that this can be accomplished
nv minimizing the rewards OF 1ndlvld
nal effort, or by infringing or destroy
ing the right of property, which, mex
to the right Of liberty, has been ant
is the greatest civilizing institution II
history.
In other words, the republican part!
believes in progress along the lines
upon which we have attained progress
/ already. We do not believe that w
can reach millennium by a suddel
change in all our existing institutions
We believe that we have MADE pro
gress from the beginning until now
and that the progress is to continue
into the far future; that it is reason
able progress that experience mai
J shown to be really useful and helpiul
and from which there Is no reactlol
to something worse.
Party Stands for Constitution.
! The republican party stands for tn.
constitution as it is, with such amend
ments adopted according to Its Prov
sions as new conditions thorough.
understood may require. We believ'
that it has stood the test of time, ant
that there have been disclosed reall.
no serious defects in its operation.