Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1924-12-25
-nnnrn Sllnrene Indoel

This government was organized 10
protect life, liberty and property. In
the days of Lincoln he was given to
saving, "Whenever there is a conflict
between the dollar and the man |
shall 90 over to the side of the man,"
In every one of these six cases of q
decision of five to four there was
question of special privilege, a ques-
ton of property, and the deciding
Judge Went over to the side of the
dollar. Even the bones Of Lincoln cry
out in angry protest against such a
court and against those partisan and
selfish interests who are undertaking
to feel the people with much ado
about the sanctity of the Supreme
Court of the United States Let the
divine right Of this fifth judge go to
the Junk heap with the divine right OF
kings! Let us go on amending the
Constitution until we protect the
rights of all our citizens, including
our babies, against the greed and ag-
gression Of those seeking gain by spe-
cial privilege.
1t is Just as easy for a crooked law
yer to get onto the Bench as it IS for
a crooked clergyman to get INTO the
pulpit or a crooked doctor to get into
| the practice of medicine or a crook
ed banker to get into the confidence
of his community, and yet the crook
ed lawyer may be the deciding Judge
in a divided court.
English Court Decisions
To those presenting the thought
that the bulwark of our liberty is in
the Supreme Court with power grant
ed the fifth judge to nullify or ratlfy
the legislative act Of 531 Congress
men and Senators, whose combined
conscience and intelligence ought to
be 531 times as great as that of such
a Judge, | reply that Great Britain
| has for centuries promoted democracy
| and liberty and she has never had a
constitution to be reviewed OF repudl-
ated bv any kind of Supreme Court.
Even the House of Lords is today sub
iect to the will of the House of Com
mons. and GoldWin Smith well said
that ain the last 800 years of English
history no reform ever originated in
the House of Lords" and it is just
as true that no reform ever originated
in the Supreme Court Of the United
| States but the progress OF democracy
and civilization has been held back by
the Supreme Courts decisions in ia
vor of property and special interests
as against the rights of man, woman
and child.
Mazzini, the greatest of Italian
democrats, has given the world the
best definition when he defined de
mocracy as "The progress Of all un-
der the leadership Of the Wisest ano
the BEST" and it is as true today as
it was when he pronounced those I'M
mortal words, and it is safe rule by
which to Judge our own legislators in
our National Congress. That body
consists of 531 of the leaders Of 4e
states and 435 Congressional districts
They are the chosen men of the hun
dred and thirteen millions of our peo-
pie. Their conscience is as good az
that of any Of their critics. Then
means of acquiring information OF
public questions is greater than that
of any of their critics. Their moral
purpose is the moral purpose Of thel
respective Congressional and Sena-
torial districts or states. They con
stitute the safest exponent and ba
rometer of the hopes, and ambitions
and highest aims OF the manhood anc
the womanhood and the childhood OF
this great republic. And let us not
forget that Washington in his fare
we'll address warned us against the
two dangers within and without oul
republic. The first of these was the
partisan spirit within and the seconc
was entanghng alliances without. Is
it not high time that partisanShip be
recognized as the enemy of patriotism
and the enemy of the general wei
fare? There is a wide gulf between
craftsmanship and partisanship. A
statesman is a man who lies awake
nights thinking and planning how ht
may do something for everybody; {
politician is q man who lies awake
nights thinking and planning how ht
may do everybody for something.
Is it not high time that we all re
turn to reason, that all those who un
dertake to discuss and analyZe anC
decide public questions do so upOI
their merits and not by resort tC
vituperation and malicious character
zatiOn? In discussing the sanctity O.
the five to four decisions of our Su
preme Court, let US not call the mil
lions who deny this sanctity, Anar
chists and Bolshevists, unless we art
also willing to call such men a
Dwight, Johnson, MacVeagh, Roose
welt, Lincoln and jefferson Anarchist!
and Bolshevists.
The poet says, can honest man i
the noblest work of God;" and | thinl
it is the mission of America to teacl
the world that AN HONEST GOV
ERNMENT IS THE NOBLES1
WORK OF MAN.
Keeninp I'm Fight