Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-06-06
Selected by Tavenner

tory privileges that have through leg
islation, bribery, judicial corruption
and executive domination forced upon
the country our present industrial
system, that robs the wage-earner OF
the fruits of his weary toll and re-
duces him to a condition bith help
less and hopeless, expect him to be an
ardent patriot.
Moreover, the workers no longer
have any legal or political rights that
the predatory corporations and crlml-
nal trusts feel bound to respect
In states where these predatory IN
terests dominate, the courts have held
that the governor may, by proclama-
ton of martial law, confer upon him
self and his minions an autocratlc ana
irresponsible power over his telloW-
citizens in described area, which par
alyzes the functions of the civil courts
and magistrates and substitutes the
mere will of military despot A mill
tary commission or summary tribunal
may be established as substitute tor
the ordinary courts to try civilians Tor
crimes or for disobedience OF military
orders and proclamations. The mill
tary may contemptuously ignore the
writ of habeas corpus or other Iro-
cess of the courts if issued.
If this military despot or his MIN
ions take the life of a civilian, seize
or destroy his property he or they are
immune from civil suit or criminal
prosecution, even for acts unwarrant-
ed and unreasonable; and the civil
courts are deprived of jurisdiction to
review the legality of military meas
ureS.
This military despot or his minions
may arrest without warrant, merely at
| pleasure or caprice; and may hold and
detain in close confinement persons so
arrested for indefinite periods at their
discretion, without charge OF crime
and without handing them over to the
civil authorities for preliminary ex-
PLANTATION, bail or trial. These petty
| despots may exercise a censorship over
the press and suppress the most re-
putable newspapers at their discretion.
They made dictate to employers what
class of laborers they shall or shall
not employ. They may forcibly enter
and search private houses, seize what
t their masters interests or their own
| avarice may prompt, without even a
search warrant. They may issue
peremptory orders and proclamations
to the citizens generally, having all
| the force and effect Of statutory law
Their despotic power extends to the
summary trial and punishment of Of
lenses committed previous to the
proclamation of martial law-that is
to all offenses connected directly or
indirectly with the labor trouble. They
may arrest persons outside OF the pro-
claimed district and brought into it for
| trial before this autocratic tribunal
even if they have never personally
been there, if their publications or &C
! tivities have given aid and encourage
ment to the strikers; of if they are
suspected Of participating in a con-
spiracy or Indictment in connection
with the strike. The continuance OF
martial law depends entirely upon
considerations of a military exigency
Of which the governor is the judge.
The constitutional guarantees OF
subordination of the military to the
civil authorities, trial by jury, the
maintenance of the writ Of habeas
corpus are contemptuously brushed
aside and are construed so as to har-
monte with the Unsuitable avarice Of
the pirates of predatory privilege
Is it at all surprising that working
men are averse to joining either the
National Guard or the regular army
when their rights are trampled upon
by the financial bandits who are now
shouting for "preparadness"?- ii Johns
town pa Democrat.