Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-07-09

The Wilmington COMMERCIAL eApfeshen .ho
opinion that the whipping post has lost lts ter
rors for criminals That is hardly probable.
II at the last logging there was larger nulipet
of victims than at any former peflou, what
would have been the number had the post been
abolished? Besides what is the use oil putting
roeues in the New Castle Jail, when the old con-
Germ IS so insecure that escapes OF prisoners are
matters Of almost nightly occurrence ?-lhttd'
Star.
The opinion ascribed to the COMMERCIAL. is not
exactly what we have expressed. Indeed, we
have not recently given any opinions on the sub
ject But we did state the facts that the num-
ber of persons whipped was Increased at me
last session of court, that the presiding Judge
lamented "fearful increase of crime that
several persons at each whipping are those who
have been whipped before, and that. on the re-
cent occasions, more white persons were whipped
than colored. These simply facts bearing
on the case in our Judgment, they point to cer-
tain conclusions, but we only submit them
and leave each reader to form his own judg-
ment
As for our county Jail, the Star has q very
wrong idea OF it. 1t ID good prison. well ar
ranged, we'll built and suitable for purposes of
confinement. 1t is continually overcrowded by
yagrants and others, but if these were excluded
or if, under any other arrangement it could be
used for convicts only. there ought TO be no cs-
capes. We believe that every recent case of es-
cape has been duo to negligence on the part
of keepers, and ought never to have occurred.
General John S. Prestons recent speech at
the University of Virginia is quoted aa Il marvel
of fire. eating rhodomontade. Efforts are espe-
cally strong to convince people that General
Preston docs not reflect Southern public senti-
ment. WE'LL we hope not, and if the govern
ment of the United States shall remain in the
hands of Republican Unionists for a few
years more, we shal! see such doctrines disap-
pear forever. But if, on the other hand
Southern men should once more assume the
government, directing its operations through
the hands of some Tilden or Hendricks, by the
brains of Virginia and Georgia, there is no Sc
curity that the prestons. Toombses, and Ber
Hills will not again be the leaders of public
opinion in the ruling section, and tho insolen
dictatora of laws and policy to the whole coun
try.
The recent attempt at bank robbery, at Barre
Vermont, was dead failure, simply because
the lock of the vault was of the " chronometer'
style-that is it was set to open at O'Clock next
morning, and could not be opened sooner. So
the scoundrels after Selling and gagging the
cashier and his family, got nothing of any VALUE
for their pains. The lock bafled them. a ho
pursuit was made after the burglars who wer'
four in number, and one has been captured
We.wil venture to say that, if convicted, he vii
stay in jail longer than the other members o
his profession who visited Wilmington
memorable occasion. Perhaps. by the way, it il
the same gang their mode of procedure wa
like that which Big Frank 4 Co. attempted here
The Keeley motor war RACES in lively style
The expressed disbeliefs of the Scientific Antcr
can are not allowed to pass without reioinder b.
the inventor OF the wonderful '.yspor
and his associates. They send to tina
inoredulous journal number of letters from
various parties testfying that there is some
ting in it, and whatever the something may be
mysterious, occult and unknown, it las a mar
velous "heft.' Sad to say, we find some sue
inveterate iokers tho Philadelphia 3uRat
making fun OF Kelley, and describing him a
"a much more dangerous man than Arcl
imedes