, 1873-07-13
THE CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE: SUNDAY, JULY Is, 1873

Suppose tho case wero robbery, or murlor, Or
libol2 And tho criminal mnn? Would ho
have rofuaotl to permit lilo Jury to record tholr
oplntonsp aud II no had rofuso1, vl,nt An out
CRY would not tho country havo raisod II q
Judge may annul constitutional right in ouo
case, why mol III anotl,or7 Why not, Mt Ills dis.
clotion, in nil caaeH7 Aud wlloro is this dis
crotionary judicial independence Of conatitu-
tsons to tormluato7
Perhaps, aftor all, Mrs Anthony received only
jnRtico at Jnt!go Hunts ha,n1s. But 1t will not
DO affirmed that /. was accorded her In TINT ovon-
handed manner Which commontls tho poisoned
ohalico to her lips.
If this portion Of tho official conduct of Jutlgo
Hunt, aud Of Judgo Lynch, Ut Now Orlcnns, lo
above criticism, 1t il evident tint jurieH mny bo
dispenBed with, altd tho Ciork DO instructed to
chter the verdict at tnlco. The oxponao Of tho
jury in Miss Anthony'a caBo should not DO pnd
by either tho United statos or Mias Anthony.
The arrest, Indictment, examination, COM
misment, and imprisonment Of Victoria
9. Woodruff constitute m appalling
instance Of tho abjcct supinenoss and tho calcu-
lating cowarico Of tho administrators Of tho
law, boforo an oxcltod and presumably virtuoun
public sentiment. It III difficult to find e1cuse
for tho unfortunate victim Of her own-and
othozs'-crime and folly. but tho lottcr Of tho
law has no passion iu it. The Judge who intor-
prots tho Inv should bo az cold as tho
letter of the law. Ho should connider only
tho offouso al 1t rotated to tho letter OF
tho low. lie nhould have seon Mother plaintiff
nor defendant. but only the cauBo itaoir. Yot,
what iB the record? Sho waH ut first denied
bull. Tho otfonHo was one that is bailnblo. II 1t
Ind boon man, nccuacd Of bailablo crimo,
who was thrown into foul nnd filthy jail, to bo
tho companion of murderore, tho pross Of tho
country would have made 1t impossible for tho
Judge to remain in bis sent. A Judge who COM
mits Jorroys' crimo is not 30 sure now Of OK
ecration. When all offer Of bail was finally liz
toned to, what sum WAS nsked7 Two hundred
and fifty Thousand do1lnrBl Tho Constitution Of
TIM 1Tnitnd Btatoa declares TINT in no case shall
eztortionate bail bo required. Tho de-
mand Of tlis Bum will prove, when
mon have forgotten tho parties to tho affair, ono
OF tho profoundest humiliationa In tho history
Of the American judiciary. Her examination
waH not tho calm hearing Of an accusation, q
Judgment on which waB to be rendered indo-
rondently Of persons, and indicated by preju-
dlco. p The courts boforc which Bhe appeared
were conducted as II they were tho court OF pub
lie opinion, Public indignation was mado tho
plaintiff; tho holy roputatiouB Of Several por-
sons entered as Weeping and dishevelod Witness
ca; judicial calmness WIS expelled tho court.
and moral verdict rendered, perfectly aat-
isfactory to tho Hcnndalized public; pro-
oisoly such verdict as tile court OF public
opinion passes on Judas IBcariot from whom it
would undoubtedly take the thirty pieces Of sill
yer to pay the costs. What la chiefly to DO re-
grottod is that, despite her condemnation In
legal tribunals aud throughout the country, it
ia not at all certain that tho real criminal has
yet been caught. 1t Is posaiblo that the access
Bory has suffered for tho principal. She has
boon hung, indeed, by tho neck, until abo is
doad but her gibbot Is still standing. Ita
nooBe may yet prove whtte-choker.
Is It difficult to HurmiBo how different would
bo the Clerks record, had 1t boon newspaper,
and not Victoria Woodruff. that had been tried
In the Booohor-Bowon caso7
The conduct Of Judge Lynch In Now Orleans
iB merely tho latest illustration Of public passion
firing an official whose first duty Ia camness.
And, 30 long as public sentiment continues to
demand TINT judicial decisions shall harmonizo
with popular fooling, 30 long III judicial dograda-
tion to bo looked for, 30 long will tho invasion
Of private rights be continued, and closer will
!, gInW tho danger to all liberty and law. ''Let
corrupt, and all attempta to secure property,
liberty, or life, by mere force Of laws written on
parchment, will bo as vain as to put up printed
notices In an orcl1ard to keep off cankorw orms,"
says Horace Mann.