Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-13
Takes Idaho Election Decision
as Theme of Lincoln Birth
day Address.
SCOTT CASE COMPARISON
Former Held Even Greater Offense
Against Justice and
Decency.


cision constituted "an even graver
offense against justice and decency,
and an even greater blot on the Amer
lean judiciary than the Dred Scott de-
cision ITSELF The court he charac-
terized as the most potent instru-
ment in this denial of Justice"
Abraham Lincoln was no less gull
ty than the three men whom the su-
preme court of the state of Idaho i'm
prisoned for contempt because they
criticised, in less severe language than
Lincoln, a decision as indefensible
from every standpoint of law and JUS
tice and popular rights as the Dred
Scott decision ITSELF"
Colonel Roosevelt spoke to progress
sives at their Lincoln birthday ban
Quet. The first political utterance he
has made in months, his address was
permeated with passages from LIN
coins writings and speeches. In Lin
coins words, he replied to the critics
of the progressive party, Hkened re-
publican leaders to the old, exclu-
sive silk-stocking whiggery" which
war;" and declared that the time had
come for the people to act as the
court of last resort He said, in part:
INTO MACHINE HANDS.
cat this moment there has occurred
In Idaho a decision by the highest
state court which, within its own linn
| it's, is an even graver offense against
justice and decency, and an even
greater blot on the American judici,
airy, than the Dred Scott decision 1t.
self. The reactionary supreme court
of Idaho has played into the hands
of the republican machine of which II
was itself a part, precisely as Justice
Taney and the majority of the su
preme court of the nation in 1851
played into the hands of Presidents
Pierce and Buchanan and the reaction
ary organization of which he and they
were parts.
''In Idaho the result was as grave q
miscarriage of justice at the election
as had already occurred at the
nominating convention, and the court
became the most potent instrument IL
this denial of justice. This decision
hold to have been an outrage upor
the people of Idaho, and not merel!
upon them but upon the people of al
the United States for any interfer
ence with the right Of an American
in any state to cast his vote and t.
have it counted for the president of hi
choice is an Offense against tn
Americans of all the states.
IL think the result of the vot
showed that if we had been given ou
clear and undoubted rights idaho
electoral vote would have been in tn
progressive column. The action o
the reactionary court, taken in con
bination with the action of the reput
lican machine, resulted in the deprivi
tiOn of the right of the people of Id;
no TO express their choice for pres
. dent.
CONSPIRACY AGAINST LIBERTY.
. Abraham Lincoln said that he b.
n lieved the Dred Scott decision repr,
h sented a conspiracy against libert
r between the then supreme court an
the leading officers of the reactionar
iparty to which the supreme court b.
n lOnged. | believe that with eve
more justice Abraham Lincoln if aliy
:, today could make the same statemeI
u about the action of the reactionar
" court of Idaho in connection with I'll
reactionary leaders of the republica
machine of Idaho.
But the court did not stop ther
There was in Idaho a newspaper whiC
fearlessly and in entirely proper ma
] ner condemned the court for this on
4 rage. The editor and publisher
that paper, and another man conneC
ed with them, have been thrown in
S Jail and ined heavily for contempt |
II the court. The court in its opiniC
n has cited the numerous dynamite oil
~ RACES and the like that have occurre
as justifying their action No mo
extraordinary plea was ever made.
y, yield to no man in the horror l fe
a. for the anarchists and for all 9th
:, criminals who do murder, whether
= dynamite or in any other fashion.
But the damage they do, thou
great, is by no means as great to t
cause of law and order as is that do
by a decision such as the decision
question; and no anarchist ever c
or ever will hurt the courts as tn
are hurt by such action as this of t
highest court of the state of Idai
- Remember that If the position of t
Idaho court IN furnishing its crit
te for contempt is proper, then Abraha
Or Lincoln should have been jailed a
n fined for his words about the supreI
court of the United States in conn'
." ton with the Dred Scott decision.
~ DECISION ISDEFENsIBLE.
" Abraham Lincoln was no more
- less guilty than the three men who
the supreme court Of the state of Il
- - no have imprisoned for contempt