Our land = La Nostra terra. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 191?-1913, 1913-06-14

with interest and profit the decision
written by Judge Marshall and handed
down by the supreme court in the
Ekern case. This decision makes his
tory in that it establishes an impor-
tant precendent in safeguarding the pu
blic interest against the whimsical dis
pleasure of a capricious executive.
The intelligent voters Of Wisconsin
will read this decision with profound
satisfaction because they know that
quite aside from being scholarly in,
depreciation of a nicely turned and
\ keenly fought legal battle this decision
expresses simple justice.
Governor McGovern began his Sc
cond administration with furtil at
tempt to initiate the big Bull Moose.
the grand past master of the big stick.
Such an attempt to WELD an autocratic
power can be justified only when it is
done in the inte est of the people. Co
vernorMcGovern did net exercise such
a power in the interest of the people !;
he made this rash and raw attempt in
the interest only of himself and his
meager Bull Moose following.
On charge of undue political activi-
ty he gave State Insurance Commits
sioner Ekern notice about nine O'Clock
in the morning of last January 8. that
he would be given until shortly before
noon of that day, opportunity to show
why he should not be dismissed from
office. To show why, it was quite es-
sential that Mr.. Ekern get together
! his own witnesses. At six minutes to
/ twelve clock The hearing was inter
rupted, before several of MIR. Ekerns
host important witnesses had been
able to testify, by the governor order
that Mr. Ekern was dismissed from Of
fee. This is what Governor MEG )ven
calls justice. Such concept n of jus
uce By a Governor Of Wisconsin can on
Is be a source of humiliation and re-
gret to the prond and justice loviag ci-
tizens Of this state
The simple fact is that the Governor
was playing politics and he was press
ed for time. He was afraid of the
clock. Six minutes to twelve. At
twelve o'lcock the legislature would be
+ in session and with the Legislature in
session the Governor could not remove
the insurance commissioner without
the consent of the senate. So he fired
him: fired him because he did not dare
to submit his case either to full trial
with Mr.. Ekern's witnesses testifying
or to the senate Of the state for re-
view. 1t is long time since this state
has witnessed such an attempt to play
cheap and unworthy politics,
Added to this, when Mr. Ekern batt-
ling for his rights and the states
rights, refused to surrender his office
under such an obviously unfair man
date the Governor directed the superin-
tendent of public property to seize the
insurance commissioner office by
force. The Governor ordered the use
of the AK in the capitol of Wisconsin;
the Bull Moose indeed was loose. But
there were courts in Wisconsin and the
courts stepped in.
Aside from all this huR1iliating spec
tacle the intelligent voter sees in Mr.
Ekern the ablest insurance commission
er Wisconsin ever had and they see in
Governor McGovern an executive try
ing by force to deprive the people of
Wisconsin of the services of this able
insurance commissioner, that he. the
governor, might build up here through
such sacrifices a Bull Moose political
machine taht would guarantee the ad-
vaneement of his own political for
tunes.
That's the whole case, outside the le-
gel scholarship developed in the court 5
review of the technical aspects Of the
case. Madison Journal.
X
The Garibaldi Society of Pence is
making preparations for grand pic