Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-02-22
Law and How it is Administered.


series Of excellent articles, from one OF
which we make the following extact
Every session Of the United States District
Court presents The most farcical instances Of lega
absurdtes il not for the gross Injustice whci
is dealt out In the name Of law In the admins
traiion Of the Revenue laws that broad principl,
Of jurisprudence which supposes a man TO be in.
n"oent until proven guilty, 10 here entirely ignored
In any other Court crime, from petty larceny "a
murder, Is construed by tho oniBHs Of the alleged
offender at the time Of its commission Not &C
with our revenuo laws The act Of placing a single
cigar, left in another stamped boz, newly opened
ts : crime whiehthe department Furnishes heavily
There are any quantity Of lazy loafers not ~
the employ Of the Government who are making a
good living by acting as nformers In casses where
the party charged is innocent Of any intontion "a
do wrong act They pursue system Of black.
mailing, and find tho most Inviting fields and
pastures green" among cigar and tsbacco manu-.
facturers and dealers, and brcwsrios.
We have heard that the United
States Attorney for this District take
great pride in the length of his trial
list, and even boasts that very few
persons are acquitted in his court. II
this is true he certainly mistakes his
official duly. The government can
not desire the punishment of innocent
persons, and there has been no decree
that we know of declaring the District
Attorney infallible, and the mere fact
of an accusation being made against u
citizen does not authorize, much less
command, the government attorney
TO use bis energy, skill and power to
convict. 1t is only his duty to thor
oughly, yet fairly and impartially in
yestigate. No professional glory or
personal feeling should influence this
officer in the discharge of his duty,
and when even he is actualed by any
such motives he abuses his trust.
The Revenue laws are exceedingly
harsh and severe in the penalties they
inhict and the officers who have charge
of the execution of those laws, should,
because Of their rigor, strive to 30 ad-
minister them as TO make their bur
dens as light as possible. But the
practice is not so. If the object was
to make these laws odious and detesta.
BILE, the officials should be commended
for their success. The purpose of all
these enactments is to raise revenue
and to punish those who defraud the
by violation or evasion Of
these laws. That purpose is not ac.
complished by conviciing men for
technical violation OF the law, where
there has been no escape or attempt
to escape from the burden of taxes the
law imposes In the case above refer.
red to, and it is but an illustration OF
many that have been tried and to be
tried-is not the climax of absurdity
and oppression reached by conyicting
g and d lI lq9issbbjipr sbj9r fas WY s con
paid from one box TO anotherl
If the machinery Of this great gov
ernment is TO be made an engine OF
oppression by such wanlon abuse OF
power it would be difficult to tell the
advantages of Republican institutions.
A tribunal conducted upon this theory
is misnamed a court of justice 1t is
liable TO the reproach, and deserves all
the infamy of courts martial, which
were organized to convict.
Every section Of the revenue law
bristles with penalties, and on every
penalty hangs golden fruit for the at.
lorney and other officers. Spiesandin.
formers hang about the United States
Court, thick and hungry as buzzards
around carrioR. For the business
is mainly made mp by maintaining
these neiarious pets, who curse any
community thoy may enter.
Some careless but honest lradesman
in canceling revenue stamps omits to
cross his az or dot his 81" in the pro.
else mode pointed out by the statute
Instantly one of these hangers. or
pounces upon him, drags him to the
United States attorney, and between
the time Of eating his dinner and di
gesting it, he is in jail or under heavy
bonds; his entire establishment il
seized and in process of confscalion
This paiernal government, or rathel
this Internal revenue law, bids higl
for conviction. 1t offers one-half L
the informer, and large commission
to the District Attorney.
Remember this inducement and sup
pose the Marshal, or one of his at
iaches should be the informer; thel
learn that tho jury which is TO pas
upon this case, is selected by the Mar
shal and the District Attorney, is i
not perfectly startling to see upoI
what q slender thread hang the liber
ties ard property of the citizens :
Such power coupled with other temp
tation TO abuse il, should not be en-
trusted TO any mortal man. II ha
been outraged in more instances thai
tho case 10 Erie. An eminent lawyc
of the Pittsburgh Bar, indignant an,
disgusled at the ready verdicts q
packed iuries, said; "All that the U
s. Attorney need do was to read th
Indictment and show the defendant.
We understand that Judge McCand
less, upon two or three occasions la
felt constrained to rebuke and correc
some irregularities in the District Al
torney's practice. 1t is TO be hope
that for the sake Of justice, substantis
Justice, and TO preserve that rcspoc
for law which all should entertain, h
will give his personal attention to th
loud complaints which arc too fro
quently heard about the NAL admins
tration Of the laws. He is evorywher
esteemed as a humane and uprigh
Judge and we feel quite sure that, j
so far as he may have the power h
will correct the abuses that may b
brought to bis notice.
We intend so far as 10 our powet
to expose all oppressive and vexalior
acts Of those in power whether cnac
ed through motives of avarice, val
glory or revenge And to this en'
we invite the suffering victims to fori
ish us with a succinct and accuraI
statement Of their several wrongs =
Pittsburgh Post.
Some people have so little ear f
music An exchange gives strikin
instance. Young gentleman 60,
here and there through the brigl
moonlight singing "Put me in my Ii