The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-06-25
Wednesday, June IS, 1919
THB FEDERATION AND THE
COURTS

hsa some very able men IN Its member
uAao and has, as q rule. displayed eou'-
Noise and balance IN It's discussion OF
uublse strairs. The 1nte1liSencer has ne
1..res TO the resolution passed IN thai
noax In which q vigorous II not .
v,etous. attack was made upon tne
courts. and particularly upon the apply
raaton OF the writ Of injunction One
section Of the resolution endorsed oy
the Federation says:
Your committee considers that moth
,rz IN more DANGEROUS TO the rights or
Iife liberty and the pursuit OF happl-
Mas than TO permit any department OF
1ovarnrnent exclusive, absolute and hnaI
authority in any matter which Directly
or Indirectly involves OF Affects the E"s-
tinv Of a people or control over It's pos
sessions.
II this means anything at ALL
means that there should De no law EVi-
IDENTIFY. however. there is no such inten-
ton on the part Of the Federation Of
Labor. We presume that the resolution
aim. at the assuming power by the
courts TO interpret or to annul les'9ia-
tive enactments.
In this connection the resolutions
adopted by the Federation say:
The power OF our courts 70 declare
lE1islation enacted CONSTITUTIONS ana
void Is A most fragrant usurpation "t
pover and authority by our courts arc
is a reputation and denial of N" Nr'h-
chile Of self-governmcnt. recoSnlzcd NJ"
"a a world doctrine. The continued eN'
epctsc Of this unwarranted power -
blasphemy on the rights and claims q
- free men OF America.
This usurpation Of power oE cur
.our+s 10 subordinatc tho leSisla;'v" and
nxscutirn dsparrmcn,s to their Will and
ecmrcl thc-ac,ivitics Of freq people 20
,bcir uhirrs and dictates = p2rIii"i,d
and rouaIcd only by tho further uSurp1-
tion Of authority by our courts 10 leSls-
late and punish people in direct d"hance
~ constitutional safeguards 10 persona.
liberty and freedom OF action.
FINAL authority must 80 exercised
somewhere in every constitutional gov
ernmcnt In this country "" nave
placed anal authority in our courts. we
have created bodies whose duty Z - TO
interpret legislative acts and to cam
Inc them as to their compliance win
or their violation Of certain great con-
,stitutional principles which are the e5'
sence of our individual rights ard priv
ilexes. II the courts may not interpret
legislative acts. who may?
II the courts cannot proven: the in
yasion Of the constitutional r'Eh.7 and
privileges Of individual citizens by lcGts-
lattys bodies. what safety has any cIti-
zen In the enjoyment Of those c'rsfttu-
ttosal rights and privileges. when
Temporary and tyrannical maJ'rsIy in
legislature seeks to take them away"
Al . matter Of fact, the courts Of this
land and the laws which they interpret
ara the guarantee OF every man. woman
and child Of every right immunity and
neneAt which American citizenship gives.
TIA laws and the courts are the protec-
ZION Of the weak and the poor against
the rIch and the strong. and they arc
the sole protection. without laws and
The courts we might easily conceive OF
ambition OF anarchy. In which the strong
took what they wanted. and kept it: in
witch men held property only by the
law Of might. Nobody representative OF
TIA great mass Of working people In
This country can wisely go on record
axnsnst tho authority Of the courts IS
thns authority Is administered in the
unttes States. Our courts mage mistakes
and commit wrongs and intusdces, but
thosa mistakes and injustices are the
,vors Of individuals, and even Fuch az
they ara Infinitely fewer than would b
tho mistakes and wrongs committed b.
IRRESPONSIBLE legislative bodies empow
rred 10 make laws and subjected to nc
enliehtened Interpretation OF their WORT
or check upon It