The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-10-26
BALTIMORE.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1889


'rlFTFlE 1919 71TFITF' III III
of all the Offices to be Allied attheensuing cleo
ton that of STATES ATTORNEY is, at this lnnctnre
the most important. 1t is at all times matter of
!, vast moment to the community that he who eec1-
MES tl,s postion should bring to the discharge of
IL dntes INTEGRITY. frmness and capacity, for it
, rasts mainly with him to ferret out and punish |
?, c,;pai or 10 accord it absolute immunity i
+ But now, when faithless magistrates release SO |
readily the most habitual offenders, and ncon.
peent Judge neglects 10 force them to trial. or le-
i nienty absolves them Of their guilt--when au- |
thority is 50 eebly exercised that it has fallen into
general contempt, and its ministers have ceased TO
q be terror 10 any but honest and peaceful cti-
zens, it becomes us 10 make one united and deter
, mined struggle to elect some one. who can make
the maine of justice again respected, and enforce
obedience to the dishonored laws. It is not
simply the business Of the STATES ATTORNEY,
the present incumbent seems to suppose, TO take
e his place in Court and superintend such trials,
as, after long delays, the parties themselves may
pbe willing to enter upon; but tits obligatory upon
Z him to note all the crimes and outrages that
may be committed to press them upon, the .atten-
ton of Grand Juries, and TO strive, by every
legal method, TO bring their perpetrators to a
speedy and strict account. All this Mr.. WHIT
NEY has VIGOROUSLY failed to do. But for
his neglect Of duty, a hundred ruffans, who
have earned an evil notorety throughout the city,
and who to-day, may with impunity,, insult and
threaten whom they viii, would long since have
been consigned to the Oblivion of the felons cell
We have called attention over and over again to
g.. \. -1.1- = D. . . /, -
and of which any single one lis sufficient to
convict Mr., WHITNEY Of wanton and disgraceful
disregard of duty. The lengthy defence which he
put forth some weeks since had not even the merit
of plausibiity, for every act which he therein
alluded to and attempted to excuse, was itself sug
gestive of some grosser iniquity. He admitted
:, that he had never prosecuted an outlaw who in
p, broad day, upon the most public thoroughfare
and before numerous citizens and policemen, had
endeavored TO shoot down an enemy, and he justi-
fed himself upon the plea that the parties had com
promised the case, and the witnesses had neglected
TO appear. While this fpsy preteYt deceived no
one, his alluson to the matter only served to re-
mind us all that the brother Of this identical man
had deliberately shot twice at uneffending cit
I zen in his own house, and was also permitted TO-
dollars as COSTS The rapid increase of crime and
the number of cases on the docket may, as lie
alleges, now obsruct the course Of justice in the
Criminal Court, but as this obstacle has, arisen
through his own defhuif, it affords butadditional
testimony against him, Had he, sought out dill
gently the witnesses to the many outrages which
q have been openly committed within the past four
years, and had he taken such measures as he has
power always to take in orderto secure their atte-
dance whenever he chose to call them, be might
have trebed the number of a convictions in
his Court. Had he event tried the parties
who have been indicted, he would u have,
taught lawlessness some little dread of punish
ment. But when, as the sworn officer Of the law,
he held in his hand an indictment against an aban-
rs, doned ruffan whom term after term hedelayed
to prosecute, and whose guilt was patent as the
evidence of it was accessible, he knows that he has
excuse which he can honestly offer to the com
rnunity2 As he afterwards acceptedhis nomination
lat the hands of men like these he must feel that the
al estimate in which men hold his integrity and honor
neither high nor fiattering, Even more than all
this Mr.. WHITNEY has to answer for. The blood
81 of the murdered cries aloud not only against him
who struck the blow, but against the faithless
guardian ofthe laws who permitted the assassin to
escape the penalty Of previous crimes IF CoU1-1
son had been prosecuted, CHRoNIsTER might have
be- been living now. If HoFFMAN had been punished
D. as lie might and should have been months ago
SULLIVAN would not be in his grave today If.
1.-THE known participants in the brutal iaffrays
which. have over and over again ,dlsgraced This
~ city had been promptly brought TO JUSTICE knsves
and ruffans would not now be candidates for Of
~ fee, nor would they stand in armed array around
-nthe ballot-boxes, and usnrp dominion over this
whole people IT is not necessary TO pass in re-
view over the whole of Mr. WHITSEY career, for il
b9 there is nyone act of his which is incapable of
% explanation except by referring it to his weakness
+ or corruption, itproyes his unftness for his place
2b in thus glaneing at few of the instances in
which he has shielded guilt from the Vengeance
of the laws, 1--WE have done enough to- remind our
areaders of the discredable details of TRANSACTIONS on
whichweh have so often before enlarged and we need
not now pursueEthe superfuous task ofdemonstra7
ting the disastrous consequences of his niisdeeds
We would look now rather TO the future, than the
past NV are more selicteus to know whe Their,
9sfof the ensuing four years, we are to expect
= neither protection nor redress from the laws or
wheher these to be re-established in their
FORMER purity and Yigor, and become again the
safeguard of the. citizen. We should feel but
little doubt on this point, if had full assurances
that the election Of Mr. JOHN r. Thomas to the posi-
6. ton STATES ATTORNEY, would notbedefeate by
fraud, The Reform Committee could have nnomi-,
mated no worther andidan for this all-mportant
post. Ofounquestioned capacity and undoabted
-, frmness, THOMAS would discharge the dufies
of this office with an abilityan zeal that ,vop15