The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-01-04
THE COST OE BLOOD,


tality override decency and defy the
isw-where whisky flows a mighty tor
rent, beside which youth and age bend
down and guaf and are maddened.
Aside from questions of personal secu
rity, men will not rear their children
IN the midst of scenes of drunkenness
and murder, and civilized people will
not buy homes subjected to taxation by
criminals. The loss even in dollars
and cents becomes intolerable. The
case now pending IN Austin will cost
the laboring people of this county ten
or twenty thousand dollars in money.
There is the cost of the coroner's in
quest, before which lawyers and wit
nesses and jury appear and spend
two or three days Of grievous inquiry.
The people pay the ''costs," and the
cost is not less than dollar per diem
i6r each idler that swings in delicious
booziness about a model local city
courtroom. II we add to this loss, for
which the county pays, the loss sus-
tanned in what might have been pro-
duced by q day of industry, the cost
even of these preliminary preparations
for the funeral of .he slain is not less
than two thousand dollars. Next we
are 70 have, after the corouer's inquest,
an exhaustive trial before commit
ting court. Here all the witnesses ap-
pear, and every nice young man who
was lOOker-on when the curtain rose
on the fifth act of tha tragedy at the
dance house. This little trial will cost
three or five days of intensely interest
ing idleness INDUCED by great thro1g,
and the sum paid out of taxpayers
pockets in behalf of Justices and wit
nesses and bailiffs and guardsmen, not
to mention the labor of earnest, idle
spectators lost forever, will be a thou
sand or two more dollars wrenched by
alleged crime from the toll of honest,
sober men. They pay and grin and
endure it, but how patiently we may
not know. Then comes that mas
sive, mighty body, of inquisI-
torial power, born of dark age
and conducting its inquiries in secret.
1t is called the grand jury" because
it was exceeding grand eight hundred
years ago. 1t, too, must have wit
nesses before it and go through many
stupendouS forms and "fnd true
bill" and "indict" the defendant, and
"whereas" about him to the stupefac
tion of common people. But it costs
money. The good States attorney
must have his fees, and clerks and the
jury, and these must be made COM
Portable this cold weather, and that
the excellent body may act carefully
and deliberately, it will be supplied
with, juries- prudence, by the bottle
full. The services of these good people
deserve well of the labo5ing people,
and the costs must be dug out of the
ground by him who hoes corn and
digs potatoes, and the sum total is Hot
less than another thousand dollars
jingling mournfullY upon the tomb
stone of decency and good morals and
good society and of good government.
Next in this monotonous history of the
robbery of industry by bloodshed,
however innocent of criminality, comes
the trial before the district court.
Here again are gathered not only all
the witnesses that appeared on the
three former investigations, but every
man in the community suspected of
knowing any fact affecting the ''guilt
or innocence of the prisoner at the
bar" must appear and testify. The
jury, the court, Its clerks and bailiffs
and sheriffs and witnesses and Incl
dental expenses will cost more daily
than fifty of the best farmers of the
county can make while the trial pro-
crosses. But this is not half the cost
10 which the toiling people are sub
iected ~ the pistol and knife. The
courtroom will be crowded with spec
tators to absorb lessons ia vice and
immortality. Browbeaten witnesses
will have admirable opportunities for
the acquisition of skill in arts of perjury.
Whisky will intervene without. to re-
excite the spectator when interest flags
within the hall of justice. Good NOR
ais are thus stimulated and keener
perceptions of right and wrong, and
if all these good people gathered
here listening to lawyers gibes and
jests and appeals to mercy or to fury
were devoted to industrial avocations
the laborinG people and moneycd capl
tai of Travis county would gain instead
of losing $1,000 per diem. The case
will occupy ten days and there may be
a mistrial and then the costs will be
duplicated and then comes an appeal
to the higher courts. The costs go on
growing and multiplying forever and
taxpayers only know that their
burdens are great. The case crawls
into that Mahomets coffin suspended
halfway betweet the Circuit and Su-
preme Court. Thence a package of
''costs" are sent down to be betrayed
by the toilinG people. Upward goes
the case to the highest appellate
tribunal and costs multiply and
the prisoner grows gray and
popular industry finds its shoul-
ders bent beuSath burdens imposed by
his misfortunes and trials, and how
the end may cone aud what it may be,
none can predict. We only know that
the cost of bloo6shed is simpls intol-
erable, and il there were no other rea-
son why the people should revolt
| against violence aad bloody deeds,
however 'justitiable," there is reason
enough in nbills of cost" and in ruin
Gus taxation to make all honest, in
dustrious men declare that deadly
deeds in this city shall be no more.
Taxpayers cannot tolerate murder fer
any reason or on any terms.