The daily Nome industrial worker., 1916-11-23
LEGAL METAPHYSICS.

Benjamin Franklin once said that a countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats. Poss- ibiy at his time the legal profession had not reached the high plane which it now adorns, but it is quite remarkable that his view is reflected in the popular mind with very little difference today. That is neither here nor there But it is in order to paraphrase this homely saying ot the great American philosopher by saving that labor between the le- sislative and judicial departments ot government, is very little better than a fish between two cats.
 The Adamson law has been de- .clared unconstitutional. Judge Hook says it is invalid because it violates the code that was written by men who never heard of a railroad ana aould not possibly conceive any such thing as railroad employment. To the layman this sort of thing Is quite monotonous and quite unintei' ligible, and the only conclusion we can come to is that the judiciary usurping the right to interpret as they see fit the constitution, have builded thereupon an entirely new system of legal metaphysics that cannot be recognized as having any thing in common with the simple evangel enunciated by the constitu- tional fathers.
 That is nothing new in the way Of human minds. Upon the original scriptures containing in simple and easily intelligible language the reli- zion of the various saviors of man. kind, the hireachies and clergies kaye built up system of theology no person could possible recognize as having anything in common with the original simple doctrines pro- pounded by the Founders. It is quite unnecessary to point out that those ecclesiastics of one denomina' tion or another who have taken upon themselves the right to say ill their own way what Christ said, pro- vide the world with systems so ella borate that modern churchianity has practically nothing in common with the religion of Jesus Christ.
 hn rtc of precedents, previous decisions which attain the dignity Of in:al!ibil- ity because of the ipse diXit of some person clothed for the nonce in er- mine, the United States constitution is today made to mean what it could never have been intended to mean, and constructions are placed upon it thanks to the advance in legal me tophySics which would astonish none more profoundly than those who took part in, and wrote the instru- ment that sprang from, the constl- tutional convention of the United States.
 And just as we see the various lheologes as they come down to us. elaborate treatises devised by stud .ents of previous teachers and earlier traditions, elaborate systems aiming to buttress up the great and power fui interests of the time, and sub- i jecting to complete subordination the exploited classes during their | sojourn on earth, so also we oD- serve the jurists who have assumed l the function of interpreting the con- .stitution, taking good care that that interpretation shall take the form of upholding privilege and the inter- ests of the great financial, industri- al and commercial powers in the United States.
 It is the most extraordinary thing l that can be only explained in this way that the judges have discovered that it is efforts to effect labor re- form upon the part of the legislat- | ors, no matter what may have been the urge under which they acted. which are mainly unconstitutional. and it is upon Labor and upon La bor solely that the punitive clauses of the laws passed must be enforced.
 The Adamson law proposes that eight hours shall constitute days work on a railroad. It does not limit the working day. But the purport of the law was unquestionably just