People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 April 1895 — THE NATION’S POWER. [ARTICLE]

THE NATION’S POWER.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL OLNEY’S ARGUMENT. He Defends the Government's Proceeding in the Chicago Strike As Being Justified Voder the Provisions of Interstate Commerce Act. Washington, March 26.—The hearing on the application of Eugene V. Debs and others for a writ of habeas corpus for their release from imprisonment was resumed promptly on the opening cf the Supreme court of the United States at noon today. Attorney General Olney said the single question before the Supreme court was whether the court below had jurisdiction of the case made ty the original bill, and proceeded to show, that, as he viewed the matter, that it had. He passed immediately to the consideration of the strike as a violation of interstate commerce relations. Intercourse and transportation between the states and all tlwinstrumentalities of either are admittedly parts of interstate commerce. Having power to control It congress has not permitted the power to lie dormant, but has freely and decisively exercised it. He then enumerated-several of the federal laws bearing on the questions of interstate traffic, including those applying to the mail service, tiiose relating to the carrying of Nve stock and those requiring the use of certain kinds of brakes, etc. He continued: “By the act the princi; les in accordance with which interstate transportation shall be conducted are laid down and defined, tneir violation is inhibited under severe penalties, and, to crown the whole, all Hie interstate commerce railroads of the country are practically put in of a commission which is to see to it that their duties as interstate carriers, as pres< i ll td l>y congress, are faithfully discharged., “Finally, recognizing the existence of an evil of greater magnitude, congress, by an act of Oct. 1,18 SS, made provision for the creation of boards of arbitration to settle controversies between railroad companies and their employes when such controversies are having the effect of hindering and interrupting interstate commerce.” . The attorney general admitted that it was the duty of t’.e state authorities to deal with certain phases of the offenses committed, and said: “If they ■ had done so promptly and vigorously the interruption of interstate railroad transportation might possibly have ceased, but instead of their doing ti is they allowed day.alter day to pats marked either by total inactivity or by effort so ill-directed and inadequate as to aggravate all the evils of the situation. Hence it became necessary for tr.a government for the suppression of i.. e sense of individuals, bat in ob<'. n 3 •> Its* obligations to protect iri.er.'Lote commerce, and because-it is the duty of every government to exorcise its tions whenever occasion requires.” Mr. Olney passed cm to the consideration of the means at the command of the government to step in, not only in destrike, the principal of which wa:4 ti.e courts, which must be depended upon so far as practicable to deal with it.