Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-02-05
MEMPHIS APPEAL
JUDGE FLIPPIN AND THE he
PQRTERB.

When, at the commencement vi tHe
trisI of Wynn Cannon upon the
charge Of murder, Judge Flippin re-
fused TO permit a reporter for one Of
our contemporaries to take down the
evidence for publication daily in that
paper, we thought and said that
Judge Flippin had acted wisely, and
there we intended to let the matter
rest, but our irate neighbor, after as
sailing the Judge more than once dur
ing the trial, now that it is conclud-
ed, delivers what may be a parting
shot at the criminal court, which not
only impugns the propriety of the or
der, but the motives of the Judge,
as shown by the following extract
from the AUaJanehe of yesterday:
The results OF the rule, ss we go along,
win be noticed from day to day. is 1t
was sdopted after deliberstion, it will, no
doubt. be enforced with hrmness. Its re
vocation may be made by his honor, out
we look with more confidence to the leg
islature for q law which Will q from
the courts the power 70 virtually exclude
me nuUNC TOu Inc NIAhl VI 1AO VI Az
people. "This will be demanded Tor the
g protection Of the reputation of the n
I" cent who are accused Of crime, ss well as
"for the punishment Of the guilty" As
it is now, the criminal court of Memphis
is as far removed from the c1tlZsns OF
Memphis as a eOurt-msrtisl is from the
soldiers in the field.
Weeannot for the life Of us conceive
how the presence Of an Avalanche re-
porter would either protect "the inno-
cent" or confound "the guilty." who
might be placed upon trial before
Judge Flippin, but under the existing
laws Of the State We can readily I'M
derstand that great harm might be
done, both to innocent men and to
society, by the publication of the evil
dence during the trial. We shall not
insult the intelligence Of our readers
by stating how this might occur, be-
III they who are intelligent enough
to read a newspaper will understand
how either of those results might be
assured, and all confess that they have
occurred. The AUaJGnche's attack upon
Judge Flippin will fall still-bOrn in
this community, when the character
and standing Of the Judge, both as a
man and lawyer, are too well estab-
lished to need any defense at our
hands. II We imagined that the rights
or privileges of the press were at
tackled, we would not be the last in
the field in the defense Ofthese rights.
OF late years there has grown up a
prurient taste, fostered by a class of
journals whose existence depends upon
such sensations, and by the depraved
illustrated press Of northern cities,
which delights in and fattens on the
.sickening details Of crime. This taste
is fully gratifed by vOluminous
reports of criminal cases, and
disgusting details of criminal ex-
ecutiOns. We are glad to know
that this passion has been e~ngendered
and fostered almost exclusively in
Northern communities, and that re-
spectacle journals Of the South and OF
the North have rarely lent themselves
10 the task Of difusing this fetid lit
erature. Good citizens rejoice that
such is the fact, and especially when
they reflect that the dissemination of
such literature, as is shown, both by
common sense and statistical infOr-
nation, leads to the most revolving
crimes. Public sentiment at the South
has always frowned upon these things,
and even now the better class Of the
Northern press and people demand {
their suppression, and we rejoice A.,
that a Memphis judge has been
found bold and true enough to I
put himself judicially upon the Z
record in hostility to them. We I
honor Judge Flippin for his bold ,
ness. He is the first wearer OF the :
Judicial ermine who has shown q
hat the courts Of the country have >
he right and the power to protect the ;
1t is enough for US to know =
hat Captain Cannon was accused OF ,
rhine; tried before an impartial court !
" an intelligent jury, ably prosecuted +
md as ably defended, and has been .
Icquitted; and it is quite as fortunate :
or public and private morals that all =
he incidents Of the killing, the Oaths :
imprecatiOns uttered, and rela- .
ions Of parties of both sexes and the :
onduct Of all these were not blazoned q
'efOre the wives and daughters Of :
his community. 10