The New York herald., 1875-10-24
RECORDER HACKETT.
SHALL THE PEOPLE THROW OFF THE oNE-MAN
DEsPoTIsM
from the westchester Times.l

The alarming increase of crime in the city of New
York, which has caused investigating committees of
tho Assembly and Senate to spring into existence and
startled the Grand Jury OF last term into making an
important presentment on the subject, naturally sug
gests TO every and order loving citizen the qucs-
tion "What going to do about III" promptly
answered few years since in the hour of the cty's
peril All agree that the prevention of crime is bctter
than its punshma nasmuch the absolute pre-
vention of Grim. mpqsl'blo attention must be
turned to the bes t,st siesry measures for it's
punishment Tt sAat capes punishment
altogether or 81 penalty for his
offences, has no 4 ming becomes to
him second - teach the
criminal classe .-as tneyr m II respect the
law is by furnishing every offence with prompt
ness and severity. Moral suasion has been tried
and found wanting the ordinary criminal being in
anenced much more efectuay by fear than love- Il
does not OF course follow that al criminals should be
treated by this vigorous standard Many law breakers
there whom the exercise OF judicial clemency as the
right moment might fom life OF sin and vice. but
such criminals the exception and can easily be
oQnzed by any discriminating judge in the midst
OF the material by which they may be surrounded
Experience has taught that dealing with the Grim
inals of city like this the only eecual measures
adopt for the dmnution or suppression Of crime
speedy trial and punishment Some persons 1t
Is true the goodness of their hearts take exceptions
to imposition Of heavy penalties for violation of criminal
law II 10 marvellous how quickly these same human
itarians change their opinions when they become them
selves the objects Of attention to the thieves and bur
glars Once their pockets are touched they become
6oiserous In their the law breakers and
camor the loudest for their trial and punishment In
connection with this subject it is satisfactory be
able TO point to the OF Recorder Hackett and
the persevering efforts made by him for the suppress
sion during his ten years OF arduous and faith
iul service to the people. He has made his name
terror 70 the evildoers done his own per-
son toward the suppression Of crime than dozen
police captains
knows no fear he has protected the lives and property
of peaceful citizens by teaching professional thieves,
burglars and murderers that they shall receive
mercy at his hand and in the history of the criminal
courts OF the city and county Of New York his name
will ever occupy prominent niche as the fearless
Judge who dared 70 do has duty and earn for himself
thereby the hatred Of the Tammany "Boss "
During the September sn Term an. Of the Court
no less than 263 important criminal cases. 2lS Of which
were convictions and IS acquals The cases in which
description Of crime, involving penalties ranging from
q sentence Of few months In the Penitentary TO i'm
prisonment In State Prison for life To the ordinary
observer this seems unprecedentedy large amount
of 10 be disposed of in four weeks but to those
conversant with the elaborate and often tedious ma
chinery of the law the record seems almost incredible
Stern and unoompromsing Recorder Hackett un-
doubtedy Is when dealing with hardened criminals IL
must not therefore be imagined that his justice not
tempered with mercy or that appeals made in good
faith behalf of deserving and truly repentan Offend
ers been dsregarded To his credit be 1t said
he of all the judges the bench at the present day.
has done more real good in dealing with the
youthful criminals Of the city Many deserving
u
loved though erring, child sent to prison. by commit
ting the youthful Offenders to the Catholic Protectory
House Of the Good Shepherd and other admirable nst
tuons where, although of course deprived of their lib
ery they educated and fitted TO become good cit
zens and instructed in the tenets of their faith
The Judge who in the exercise of his judicial author
ty strives TO prevent youthful criminals from entering
a nrison and becoming imbucd with the debasing in
uenceg sure to result from association with the old
and hardened offenders, confers ncalculable boon
on the little ones themselves saves hundreds of pa
rents hearts from anguish and redeems many good
man and woman from destruction
For this alone If for nothing else Recorder Hacket
is entitled the thanks of the community and especially
deserves the appreciation Of Irish Catholic citizens
70 whose feelings he has paid such regard.
If ever there was time when the occupants of tho
bench in tho criminal courts should be fearless and
stern IL is now. On the opening of the October term
OF the Court OF Oyer and Terniner less than four
teen murderers, charged with the various grades of
homicide were arraigned, while a few days previous
the trial OF the three negroes who murdered the He
brew pedler in Westchester TO have taken place In
the Court of General Sessions but went over at the
quest Of counsel This Is truly appalling state OF
affairs Murders, outrages and thofs OF almost
hourly occurrence and 10 tho stern hand of law and
justice alone peaceful and honest citizens look for
protection Yet, notwithstanding this terrible condi
on of AFFAIRS understand II rs the intention of John
Kelly and his corrupt advisers here 70 decapi-
tate Recorder HackeJt out of revenge for his
manly Independence in refusing TO nl his Court
with disreputable politicians. The fact is the
Recorder too honest and independent for Kelly and
his gang and they will work heaven and earth to
place plant tool in his place, and thus grasp at
the very throat OF Justice The low pothouse states
men and political adventurers who constitute the per
sona friends and admirers Of John Kelly declare that
they must have the Bench men who will do their
bidding willingly and without questioning. The in
tercsts Of the party require It, and IL must be done
Tweed's greatest of power the corrupt ju-
dietary which he created Kelly, the late Boss In
following the example Of the former Boss profits by
this experience, and In seeking TO perpeuate the one
power aims at controlling not only the Bench but
the entire department Of criminal administration
the preservation of which In its purity is tho
very life and salvation Of the lawabiding community
Kelly enragcd the Independence Of Recorder Hack
Oft In refusing TO hand the appointments OF tho
clerks and officers OF his Court to the rapacous ward
politicians who impudently demanded them, has deter
mined 70 all means fair and unfair, TO annihate
the Recorder and elect in hts place some who shall
do his bidding.
Nobody knows better than Kelly that worth finds its
recognition, and that the men in the community
whose support is worth having will see to II that
years faithful labor In tho service Of the people
be forgotten the whm Of the shallow tyrant who
day attempts the dangerous task Of ruling this great
city Cognzant Of this fact and painfully aware
OF the strength OF Recorder Hackett John Kelly
and his slaves are In their desperation striving
10 cast mud at the career Of tho Recorder by
cooking up charges which bear their refutaton
their face The efforts of Kelly and the World TO
throw discredit the official acts of the Recorder
but tho desperate efforts of vndicve organization
scious OF It's own weakness They fall hat on the
OF the respectable portion Of tho community and only
strengthen the canvass Of the upright Judge whose
character they invented TO assa With the solid
republican VOTE the respectable, aw-abiding dcmocra-
anti Tammanyites in tho city to-day, Recorder Hacket
will be reelected to tho bench he has honored by
majority more overwhelming than that which last year
nlaccd General p Jones the office of Register and