The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-11-07
OH, ! 1l.ailg, Argtts,
ROCK ISLAND. .TLLINoTs.
Concluded from second page.)

tConciuded from second page.
case by case, as they try them, and walk off
the bench or walk on as majority of the
people in their zeal at the moment of the
trial decide, it will be but little while un-
Til courts will take the people at their
word and we shall have demagogues in
stead of judges
Again, if the present popular voice is to
unseat a, judge, then public sentiment
ought to be instantly obeyed; therefore,
while trial is in progress there ought to
be some proper means of ascertaining what
the public feeling is If this movement of
the board of trade and the South Water
street merchants is right then Judge Nc
Alister has found out too late what their
opinion upon legal propositions is. He
ought to have ascertained it during the
trial and then he could have followed it at
once. Imagine the bulls and ''bears" of
the board of trade called to order by
Judge MeAlister' bailiff Imagine that
baiiiff also amid the drays aud potatoes oil
South Water street, Not another put"
or cali to be permitted; not anot her
chicken to be sold until the constitutional
question of the right of trial by jury and
questions of evidence and questions of
rebattal are settled, for the court is watt
ing and the opinion of the street must be
Immediately returned to himl Again, if
public sentiment is thus to be consulted,
why not.give both sides chance and thus
convert the marts of trade into debating
societies? And yet such things would be
more reasonable and more productive of
good than to compel the judges, without
consultation and without inquiry, to
secretly scent out and obey the public
voice. W hat the people of this great city
want is heightened, intelligent, honest,
and Independent judiciary, but what such
demonstrations as this will produce is
charlatans, and sycophants, such as in all
ages have disgraced the bench and been to
public justice scandal and reproach
The Hanford homicide was the natural
outgrowth of vile assaults upon character,
which the Chicago public have been buv-
ing daily for the past Is years, and whf> 4
people call news. The wonder is that the
bloody outbreak did not come sooner.
When the sad tragedy occurred, growing
as it did, out of false accusations, religious
ljealouses, and aespirit which was the very
antipode of that of the Great Master whom
all profess to serve, the Christians of one
church charged the killing upon the
Christians of another church. Class was
arrayed against class. nationality agains
nationality, and sect against sect, and the
trial was but the natural elimination. NJ
thinking Christian citizen. whether he bt
Catholic or Protestant, can justify the In
temperate things done or said upon either
side; and so far as such things were don,
or said upon the part of the defense
apologize to the public rather than endeavo
to excuse or sustain them.
WHAT is NEEDED.
for the future is a sober second thought
j, and what is needed for the case is al
impartial administration of public iustic
=, in which the rights of the defendant ant
n the people shall be respected; and VIVA
: least of all We need, and what good peopl
J : ON all sides ought to deplore, is furthe
It manifestation of intemperaee action an
l. public recklessness Yours truly.
d LEONARD SWEET.