In a nutshell, this is the gist of the Colorado Supreme Court's gross and wilful misconstruction of the law, the decision of those learned judges, who sold the liberty of the people for a mess of pottage, or possibly a pot of something else.
By the Constitution "The supreme executive power of the State is vested in the Governor, who is required to take care that the laws be faithfully executed." To this end he is made "commander-in-chief of the military forces of the State, and vested with authority to call out the militia to execute the laws, and suppress insurrection."
The reader will note that the law, as above quoted, is very definite. It says in plain English that the governor is required to take care that the laws be faithfully executed. This is the only reason why he is clothed with supreme executive power. No other logical reason could be adduced. However, the patriots who drew up the Constitution realized that occasions might arise when armed rebellion might prevent the due execution of the law, or else threaten to overwhelm the State. To the end that such a calamity might not befall, the governor has been vested with the power to call out the militia to suppress insurrection or repel invasion, in order that the laws may be executed.
Judge Gabbert keeps on bewailing with crocodile's tears that it is the sacred duty of the governor to suppress insurrection and rebellion, and endeavors to prove that the only reason we have a governor or need a governor in Colorado is that he may keep on proclaiming and suppressing imaginary insurrections.
TTie decision of the Colorado Supreme Court prac-
142 The Pinkerton Labor Spy.
tically means that the governor of the State is identical with the State, according to the celebrated statement of King Louis XIV. of France, who