The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1879-01-04
Correspondence baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM BALTIMORE.
The New Year and Some of It's Observ-
ances-Judge Pinkney and Some
of his Critics-The City
Judiciary SC


BALTIMORE, January LIST, 1879.
The old year bid adieu to time last night and
to-day we have entered upon a new one. Permit
me, therefore, Messrs. Editors to wish you. all
your readers and everybody else, the compliments
of the season. May long life peace, prosperity
and happiness attend them. 1t is our privilege to
learn wisdom from lessons of the past and improve
opportunities coming in the future. Let us, there
fore, not neglect making good resolves and be
mindful of keeping them. We should be careful,
however. not to burden ourselves with too many at
n time lest failure comes to all in an overtaxed
struggle toward their observance Do all the good
you can, little harm possible is wholesome
maxim. Attending to our own business, letting
other people attend to theirs, not forgetting Davie
Croeketts famous saying in being "sure we are
right" before going ahead, cannot fail in outwork-
ing favorable results If men and women will
firmly resolve to cultivate the higher and better
attributes of their nature, dealing justly, loving
mercy doing unto others as they would be done
by, whether it be at the beginning middle or end
ing of the year, they must realize greater enjoy
ment in life and world of improved citizenship.
OF all things on earth avoid Hypocrisy Trample
it under foot you would viper. Keep truth,
genuiness, honesty, virtue and pure principle ever
in view. This done and each succeeding annual
round will be marked by higher toned society and
nobler aspirations, more fruitful of good results
than mere spasmodic resolves of one day to be
broken the next. Such ut least are some of Mes
tors" views.
There was quite ringing of bells, firing of sa-
lutes and other manifestations of Joy as the City
Hall Clock ("Sam') struck twelve last night sig
nalizing the birth of the New Year. Thousands
of people were up on the ''watch" and for fifteen
or twenty minutes they made things jubilant. In
all directions, town and suburbs-particularly the
Belt of old Baltimore county-guns pistols etc.,
could be heard going off. "Nestor" got out his
Smith & Wessen and gave few distinctive blasts.
Several of the churches-Methodist especially
held watch meetings, which were fully attended.
| The evangelist Moody took part in these obser-
vances. All secular business is to day suspended.
1t is indeed regular holiday. Public offices, the
banks and other places are closed. About eleven
| O'Clock snow commenced falling, which continued
for over hour, covering the ground to the depth
| of an inch. The social custom of receiving" by
the ladies and making social calls upon the part OF
| gentlemen has been much INDUCED in. The snow,
however, and unproptiOus weather. operated some
what against it, particularly with impecunious
young blOods whose finances did not admit of hir-
| ing carriages. Nevertheless a very large amount
of visiting has been done and is still going on
Old acquantances are renewed and new ones made,
past grievances forgotten and friendships cement
| ed for the future.
His Honor, Judge Pinkney, of our Criminal
Court, has brought down upon himself some news
paper criticism account of his recent letter to
| Col Wilkinson. Warden of the Penitentiary ex-
pounding the law, asserting that he had no right
to take into consideration the previous good or bad
character of persons tried before him, in gradual
| ing the degree of sentence imposed upon them
| In this believe his Honor to be perfectly right
and just legally and otherwise. He is only to
| know of the accused as he or she may appear be-
| fore him in sworn testimony, and punish accord
| ingly. There are set Of detectives and police
men holding their fat positions by appointment
and subsist upon them, who, to make out a case
for themselves, showing presumed vigilence and
official excellence upon their part. in view of max
| ing favor with superiors on whom they depend for
| continuance in office, often persecute and give a
bad name an unfavorable impression of those they
arrest merely in view of trying to make it appear
they were particularly vigilent and deserving as
cOnservators of the peace.
! Judge Pinkney, think, has shown his wisdom
| and good common sense in not hearing or needing
the private prejudiced information volunteered by
policemen, detectives and others in such cases.
| To tell the absolute truth there is scarcely one in
ten of these fellows-generally ignorant and often
incapable of comprehending what the real escense
| of sworn testimony is-that l would believe on
| OATH Some of them would not scruple at sending
an innocent man to the galOws or penitentiary II
they could make favor with their chiefs and capt.
| tai for themselves.
| Judge Plnkney, no matter what the press-crltlcs
may say. has the law on his side and is right. If
there be defects in our Code which prevent Judge
from administering proper punishment-and there
are-Iet our legislature correct them. Tits proper
to remark that Judge Pinkney has presided with
ability and general approval by our citizens since
he took his seat on the Criminal bench In say
ing this mean no disparagement to his honorable
predecessor Judge Brown, who performed his duty
with commendabe ability and fsii Baltimore rUr,
not easily be surpassed for legal attainments and
all else appertaining to so honorable and response
BILE position. 1t stands in high favor with men,
| bers of the Bar and our entire community.
| l am glad to say-holiday as it is-yery few
drunken persons have appeared on the streets. and
no disorder, accidents mshaps reported thus far
Your member elect from the Second Congress
sonal District, Hon. j. Fred C. Talbot, who fire.
quently visits our big village. seems to bear his
new honor modestly, gaining friends and populari-
! ty as time advances. l wish him the compliments
of the season and due success when he enters up
on his new sphere of action. NEsToR.