The Mena weekly star., 1913-02-20
ROOSEVELT SCORES
 JUDGES OF IDAHO
Former President Uses Strong Language in Making Lincoln Day Speech in New YOrk-Mis-
 carriage of Justice.

New York, Feb. 13.-Colonel Roosevelt last night returned to the subject of the decision of the Su- preme court of Idaho in the elec- tion cases, and again voiced the opinion that this decision constltut- ed "an even graver offense against justice and decency and an even greater clot on the American judi ciary than the Dred Scott decision itself" The court he characterized as the most potent instrument in this denial of justice"
 Abraham Lincoln was no less guilty than the three men whom the Supreme court of the state of Idaho imprisoned for contempt be- cause they criticised, in less severe language than Lincoln, a decision as indefensible from every stand point of law and justice and pop ular rights as the Dred Scott de- cision itself"
 Colonel Roosevelt spoke to Pro- gressives at their Lincoln birthday banquet. The first political utter ance he has made in months, his address was permeated with pass ages from Lincoln's writings and speeches. In Lincoln's words, he replied to the critics of the Pro gressive party, likened Republican leaders to the old, exclusive silk stocking whiggery," which "op- posed Lincoln before the Civil war, " and declared that the time had come for the people to act as the court of last resort He said in part:
 At this moment there has oc- cured in Idaho. a decision by the highest state court which, within its own limits, is an even graver of fense against justice and decency, and an even greater bolt on the American judiciary, than the Dred Scott decision itself. The reac- tionary Supreme court of Idaho has played into the hands of the Republican machine, of which it it. self was a part, precisely as Justice Fancy and the majority of the Su- preme courts of the nation in 1857 played into the hands of Presidents Pierce and Buchanan and the re- actiOnary organization of which he and they were parts.
 Tn Idaho the result was as grave miscarriage of justice at the cleo ton as had already occurred at the nominating convention, and the court became the most potent in- strument in this denial of justice. This decision 1 hold to have been an outrage upon the people of Ida ho, and not merely upon them, but upon the people of all the United States for any interference with the right of an American in any state to cast his vote and have it counted for the president of his choice is an Offense against the Americans of all the states.
 T think the result of the vote showed that if we had been given our clear and undOubted rights Idaho's electoral vote would have been in the Progressive column. The action of the reactionary court, taken in combination with the ac- tion of the Republican machine, re- suited in the deprivation of the right of the people of Idaho to eX- press their choice for president.
 Abraham Lincoln said that he believed the Dred Scott decision represented a conspiracy against liberty between the then Supreme court and the leading officers of the reactionary party to which that Su- preme court belonged I believe that with even more justice Abra- ham Lincoln, if alive today, would make the same statement about the action of the reactionary court of Idaho in connection with the reac- tionary leaders of the Republican machine of Idaho.
 But the court did not stop here. There was in Idaho a newspaper which fearlessly and in entirely proper manner condemned the court for this outrage. The editor and publisher of that paper, and another man connected with them,