The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-09-18
from the Ledger-StanJard, NeW AIbiny,
A MATTER OF JUSTICE.


from the Ledger Standard, New Albany, Ind
A MATTER OF JUSTICE.
The Evansville Tribune accuses the
Ledger Standard of "partisian rage, u
because of our condemnation of lot
of pious frauds perjuring themselves to
vent:.their spleen upon a poor, persecut-
ed, harmless InfideI, and because we
spoke plainly and truthfully. of the
fraudulent Presidents cowardice in re.
fusing to pardon ID. NJ. Bennett, whom
he knew had been unjustiy sentenced
to prisoO
The Tribune says that tho Infidels
are divided in opinion as to Benefits
guilt. What do we care for thatS This
Is not matter of religion, but of prin-
ciple and liberty. We CLAIM that there
is as much wrong in unjustly imprison-
ing one person as another, whether thai;
person be black or white, rich or poor,
Christian or Infidel. IL the weak and
unprotected are unjrstly dealt with, the
liberties Of none arc safe. 1t is enough
to know that Bennett is a human being
and that he is unjustly and cruelty per-
secuted by pack of bad men under
tho cloak of Christianity.
Tho Tribune asks what the Ledger
Standard knows about the matter. We
read the evidence published in the pa
pers, and, like all unprecedented minds,
were astobished at the verdict, and said
80 at the time. U'e were more astonish-
I'd at IL n
under the circumstances.
What were the facts concerning the
trial? what was wrong? may be asked.
The fact is that the trial was farce
throughout. Bennett was selected as y
victim to be made an example of, and
his crimo was not that he violated the
postal laws by sending "Cupid's Nokes"
Though the mail, for many booksellers
had done the same thing, but the oifensc
was Benefits Infdelity. Bennett
wished to show that the author of the
pamphlet was an honorable man, who
wrote to benefit his race, not 10 iniure
it. lie was allowed TO show nothing of
the kind. He wished to show what are
the usages of the the book trade, and
what the different classifcatious of
books are. He was allowed TO do moth
inf of the sort. He was prepared TO
prove by numbers of literary men of
the first character-writers of note and
public standinG-that they had cxamin-
ed the pamphlet, and that it was no; OBJ
scene. This was totally prohibited.
He wished To show that numerous
books by the best writers known IN lii.
erature, in all our public libraries, and
within the reach OF all ages and classes,
contain far moro objectionable matter
than the pamphlet for which he was ar
rsigned, but this was peremptor'ly &c.
MED. Bennett wished to prove that
Comstock had sent through the mail
book thousand times more obscene
than "Cupid's Iokes." lie wished to
show that the president of the society
which prosecuted him was positively
guilty of breaking the same statute IN
der which he was indicted, ard which
the same district attorney who prose
cuted him utterly refused TO prosecute,
but could not. By way OF rebu,tsl,
Bennett could have proSed that Com
stock perjured himself in two instances
in his cross-examination, but he was
not allowed to do so. Benefits at.or-
ney wished TO show 10 the jury that
Mr.. Heywood's pamphlet is not obscene
by reading II IN Ills entirety, as II was
so indicated, but il was denied him be
was only allowed TO read certain pass
ages which the district attorney bad
marked, with sufficient clesrness 10
finish out the sentences or paragraphs
Even the closing part of the pamphlet.
which is the summing up or the key TO
the whole thing, and contains the gisi
Of the entire essay, WAS denied 10 be
read. Such arbitrary rulings were
known before.
The charge, definition, and test Of OBJ
scenity given TO the jury ss they were
aboat TO retire was sufficient 20 convict
every bookseller, every publisher of
daily and weekly papers, every man
who owns copy OF Sba6spere, BYRON,
Burns, Goldsmith, or the Bible, ia the
What daily paper containing
the accounts of the Widow Olive Cam
eron case, the Vanderbilt will case, the
Beecher-Tilton trial, and hundreds of
murder and-seanial cases constantly be
ing placed before the public, in which
some passages cannot be found which,
By highly charged pious jury, nigh,
not be thought TO tend 10 i3moralI;y
These pass through the. mails. How
many books are there in our public H.
braries ard on the shelves Of our book
stores, and in thousands upcs thousands
Of private families all over the land, in
which some passages could not Jc found