South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-12-23
REPUBLICAN COMMENT on TIE
LEGISLATURE C1sE-.

To was hardly 90 Hc expected that
Judge Markey Of the Indianapolis
criminal court in his disposition OF the
thirteen indictments against members
and officers of the last legislature,
wQuld be able TO meet the demands OF
partisan plotting republicans. That
the republican press and the repUb-
leans Influenced = it should be at
work like demon @.a their denunc.a-
tion OF the decision goes "a long way
farther than we had anticipated, i'm
pointing out the animus back of the
indictments, and affords an exhibition
l OF gall. never excelled and seldom
'equaIed. And not alone the decision,
but the method of proceeding to trial.
is being scoTched. Instead OF an
/ agreed statement of facts. which if
the law was good would have served
I an purposes in efecting a conviction.
the republican press appears to have
been itching terribly for more in
/ stalments Of anticipated piecemCal
scandal, while republicans generally
with their appetite for rot unsatisfed,
have become as ravenous as a starving
maniac in desert.
With regard TO the republican
. criticism of the law as laid down by
the court. il is so self-contradictory as
TO be the silliest of Stiffness. If the
contention of the republican press
were correct, each session of the
legislature could be the equivalent Of
constitutional convention, only more
30. OF course, the republican party
would never submit 10 the acts Of a
legislature being submitted to the
speople by a referendum. as required
pf constitutional amendments. or new
constitutions
To say that an act of the legislature
J. constitutional until repealed or de-
Jared unconstitutional by the court
and that all acts i'm violation of it are
ndictable and punishable pending
come such disposition of its flegality,
J. at the very summit Of legal imbe-
,iity. if the law of 1895 is uncon-
ututional now it was so from the
noment of its passage. except as re-
=
hat legislature. of course. being bound
~ its own conduc; II is a legal prin-
iple as old as the hills that disregard
or an unconstitutional act Will be
DrOtected-the constitution delegaung
il the powers that the individual vests
n mis- government. To say that one
legislature shall have the power to
regulate the organization Of its sue
,essor, is vesting i'm that legislature
more power than the people vested i'm
he constitution.
And now as 10 the statement Of
acts. 1t is altogether probable that
bad the case gone 90 trial i'm the reg
lar way, republican leaders at In
Annapolis would have been able to
nd any number of liars who would he
= Willing 20 swear TO most anything. in
rider 10 provide the republican press
With more bits of scandal for political
istribution. The statement of facts
Omit everything charged i'm the in
dement's WhS go TO the expense Of
long trial, which i'm the end would
ave concluded, with "a decision on the
nconsttuuonahty of the law. unless
o provide the republicans with OPP
ortunity for more political. thunder
nore mole-hiIIs 10 magnify into noun
aims?
We are not defending the excessive
berality of the 1918 assembly in the
Employment of Keepers. clerks.
tc. Had there been any patriotism.
nd less partisan chcauc back of the
hdictments, we might almost have re-
bleed in their Being found for the
God effect il is sure 10 have upon
lture assemblies. 10 is different
owever. when we come TO observe
be republican use that is being made
tins Incidental for the party and
. one for the state" The whole affair
ecomes contemplate from that angle.
e believe III ecou- my I'm government
e believe that LEGISLATURES should ne
pnducted with just as little MAJ
hinery, and rs little expense to the
ate as possible We can welcome
hatever of Hsht that may DE thrown
Z: pon the subject and force such arr is
- be. but thiues are always bad enough
they are without gseraung
aem. and making them appear worse.
some whclpisn political end
And that is all this aftermath re-
lblican comment amounts TO- THE
Rpublic-n press of indiana would dis
|edit Ch-ist's sermon ON the mount
they thought that il would win Tor