The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-02-13
GRACE. MERCY AND PEACE.
Tue Gag Policy of the JOurnal-A Re-
yfe.s Of the GilI0Oly Case.


To the Eiipor Of the Sentinel:
SIR-Idesire first of all to express to you the
heartfelt gratitude of our people for your able
and fearless defense of their interests. your
early, continued and answering fidelity to
the interests of the oppressed everywhere,
and your terrible and effective lampooning
of the money changers prior TO their exit
from "the temple OF liberty" Accept the
gratitude of people who, but for your bold
defense, your words of cheer and defiant
attitude, would no doubt ere this, many OF
them, have yielded in despair, and now that
the clouds are veerirg to the east and the
western sky is Frightening, let 1T not be Tor.
gotten that in the darkest hour the Sentinel
stood by the people and openly dehed the
money kings, their abettors, "the flesh and
the devil"
But what can be said for your contempt
rary, the Journal? Must it be given over
entiraly to "reprobacy OF mind?' Can't 1t
possibly be induced to say one word IN the
interest of the people? Can you induce 1T to
publish some of the letters it has received
from prominent republicans of this county,
especially the one notifying it that its
policy is ruinous, and that the repub-
ficans of this county would vote
the democratic ticket solid rather
than indorse the policy of the Journal.
True to its insticts it publishes promptly
everything written against the poor and the
depressed If people, swiftly passing into
bankruptcy, humbly petition Tor redress,
the Journal says to Hayes answer them with
veto. If honest laboreTs come upon the
street asking for bread and work, the Jour
nal saws shoot them down. If a friendless
youth condemned to death, chained down
in his gloomy cell aud forsaken by all the
world whispers a prayer for mercy to the
governor, the Journal says it's weakness to
listen to him; hang him, hang him. And
this brings me to the case which wish es-
Il - oil lad
Gillooly been the son of banker or
moneyed aristocrat does any reader OF the
Journal believe that that paper would have
clamored for his blood? If he does let me
''freshen" his memory a little. There have
been four men killed in Tor Dear) kokomo
within the last few years; Cole killed Allen
Daugherty killed Van Horn, Carr killed
Brown.
Now it came to pass that each OF these
men had plenty of money and plenty of
friends and each in turn was acquitted. No
stain of guilt attaches to either of them, and
they roam the country free. The Journal
was happy; no murmur of complaint was
heard; it meekly acquiesced, and virtually
SAID, "All is perfectly right"
Gillooly kills Lannon. Gillooly is friend
less and penniless, and now all hell breaks
loose, with the Journal as its mouthpiece,
and clamors for his blood. This is consis-
tency without the alloy of "gush." No one
ment because others have. This were child
ish. and in keeping with the ungushing
rough on the streets of Kokomo, who rears
back on his pastor joints" and says, Gil
looly must be hang for the purpose OF deter
ring me from killing somebody"
But the Journal says there are no miti-
eating circumstances in this case. (Will
it be kind enough to point them out
in the other cases?) Is it true,
however, that there are none in the GillOoly
case? Is youth, with its verdancy, no miti-
eating circumstance? Is previous good
character, and the fact that this is first Of
fense no mitigating circumstance? Is the
fact that Gillooly had been shsmefully dis
graced by the deceased, and This in connec-
ton with the fact that they were rival lovers,
no mitigating circumstance? Is the fact that
the deceased had made threats against the
life of GillOoly, which was not permitted to
be proven, no mitigating circumstance? Is
the fact that the prompting to the deed finds
its impulse in the nobler instincts of our
nature no mitigating circumstance? Is the
fact that the boy is OF Catholic parentage (he
probably couldn't help it) a sufficient reason
for hanging him?
The theory and justice of all our laws is
that the extent of punishment should be
limited by the extent of the crime. Is Gil
Iooly's crime one of the most aggravating
Is he one of the worst criminals? Is I'm
prisonment for life adequate punishment
for the crime? If so, the states plea is ended
Justice hath glutted her vengeance, and any
greater punishment would be alike wicked,
barbarous and heaihenish.
The law, justice, mercy, the chief execu-
tive and the people with great unanimity all
join in saying that imprisonment for life is
punishment commensurate with the crime
committed The Journal and its cores
pondent, J. red Vale. say to the contrary.
l leave the Journal to its reflections
NH yhn - I rod oil I
is cold blooded. "blue bellled" Tor words
TO that effect Yankee, adventurer in
search of a name, and is prosecutor of this
district by virtue of the grace of 'gerryman-
der" He prosecuted Gillooly relentlessly
while he was under mis- jurisdiction, for
which he is not censurable. But when the
trembling convict passes from his lurisdic-
ton crushed and bleeding. and casts himself
at the feet of the governor imploring mercy,
then Fred shows his "little light" by seem
ingly becoming his prosecutor and bounding
him from the gates of mercy. For this
service the state pays nothing, and "the
answer of good conscience" is his reward
Can Mr.. Vale afford to publish statements
the fruit of his own Imagination
and rely on purchasing credence by
referring TO the record in the supreme court?
Can be afford to assert that the delegation OF
over 80 good men that waited upon the gov
ernOr, headed by such men as DIR. Richmond
-JuuSe OFteu anu Uenerdl MOSS, was the
bearer of 'gossppy tales?' Can he afford to
insinuate that 1t was a delegation of the
''murderer's friends" when he knew that to
the most OF them Gillooly was as much a
stranger as he (Vaile) is to common decency,
truth or mercy? Is he sure that his judg-
ment is superior to that OF Governor Will
Jams, and that executive clemency has really
been abused?
Let me not be understood as attempting a
defensa of the action of his excellency Gov
ernor Williams 1t needs none. BY tenn
pering justice with mercy our chief executive
at once rises to the dignity of his high posi-.
ton, and numbers himself with the great
and good OF all ages.
..Great, not like Cesar stained with blood,
But only great as am good"
JUSTICE.
Upton, Ind, Feb. 5.
The Pope = His Death Announced =