Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-10-09
THE APPROACHING TERM OF The
CRIMINAL COURT.

CRIMINAL COURT.
There is quite a long docket for the
approaching term of the criminal court
and it is very likely it will be in session
for three or four weeks. Mr.. Biackweli
has been hard at work for some time
preparing his cases, so as to expedite
matters as much as possible. but the
crowded condition OF the Jail. togetner
with the usual number OF indictments
brought by the grand jury, outside Oh
apprehended criminals, will unavoidaoiy
extend the term. The evils OF not nav
ing a competent judge upon the oencn
are very great. and we hope the bar Will
come to the firm determined to elect as
a special judge some good, fair lawyer
who will be so acceptable to all, that ne
will not be objected to by defendants
attorneys TOR the purpose OF securing
real or imaginary advantages IN Inc
iudpe. We fully realize the laudable de-
sire which every lawyer in a crlmlna
case has to secure the acquittal OF MS
client: but we can but look upon 1t as
a trayesty on Justice. and a reflection on
the bar itself, to see during one term oil
the criminal court a half dozen different
Judges. The law which permits a change
of Judge on the same bench. at the same
term, was passed to prevent the changes
of venue to adjacent counties. which had
become SO frequent as to entail great ex-
pense and inconv enience; but 1t IS EVIL
dent. if the law is made the pretext
and the instrument OF placing upon Inc
bench men who, by their occupation as
pIeaders for defendants, naturally lean
toward acqulttals, chat it will have to be
changed.
Justice should, no doubt, be tempered
with mercy, but first let justice pure
and simple Justice, as laid down in the
law. be done. There has been too mucf
namby-pamby sentimentalism aoou'
crime all over this county since thu
war. 1t really looks as ii the Beadl'
, dime novel, with its glorification o
I, robbers, cut-throats and seducers ha'
come 10 be the standard of our juries
rather than that book from which al
: human laws that are worth anytain!
> should be drawn. There has been
great cutlery. and justly, too. about ID
s immense cost OF crime. Much OF this l
due to the natural depravity OF man
much of it to the carelessness and lenl
ency OF judges, but a great part Of it
also to be attributed to the moral COW
ardice OF jurles. The spartan firmnes
of the Judge who tried and condemne
% his own son to death is needed in on
Is halls oil Justice for the protection OF 81
ciety. The law wisely gives the benef
of every doubt to the accused, but Whe
all doubts are solved. and a criminal
proven guilty. no adventltious circun
stances should stand in the way OF b
IT punishment. Especially may this
properly said OF that class OF crimina
who WELD the pistol, the knife and Il
=, bludgeon. Ravishers and thieves. espe
:, ialIy horse thieves, meet with little syr
yathy at the hands of juries, but 4
natural admiration for personal coura'
is is distorted by the eloquence o! the a
is yocate into a mistaken and pernlclo
sentiment which operates in favor
90 the criminal who offends against
q person OF his neighbor.
Government is maintained for thr
great purpeses-the protection OF I'D
'er tv, lite and property-where either IS
re secure the government Is bad. 1
he ~juries, as we have said, protect prop
w well enough; they need now to ma
At. a united effort, all over this land, MOI
no as we'll as south, to eliminate. as tar
or. it is possible to do, the knife and
revolver from our daily life. Thi
years 400 a murder created a sensati
'tic tom one end of the country to the ot
10 to-day they pass in countless numb
or almost unobserved. An assassinat
must be accompanied with some dial
ism in cruelty and circumstance to ca
,re it to be remembered for a week. I
ne1 ,ings, shootlngs and clubbings arc
daily occurrence everywhere. 1t is
recklessness of the rights OF the per
on which demands at the hands OF
Oh iuries OF the country heroic treatm
age They should not, in their fear oil pun
ing the innocent, lean so far the o.
tied way as to come to sympathize '
the CRIMINALS. IT there IS any one II
eral more than another that these Un
.rlv. States needs, it is a spirit among the
pie that will make crime odious.
not so to-day. The social ostracism
[ OF crime should bring does not exist.
"eii ~looseness OF morals IN high places,
uer- justification which money brings
forgery, theft and fraud. the law
sycophancy of a certain class of pc
ded to the murderer and assassin,
% be brought the people to that intimacy
e re- crime portrayed by Pope in his ma
is a ly essay, when he wrote:
..Vice is a monster of so irightful mlen
As, to be hated, needs but to be seen;
,non let, seen too Oft, familiar with her face
-, We first endure, then pity, then embrace
and The republicans are %strenuousl
, was sisting that MIR. Franklin Lander!
IS. democratic candidate for govern
Indiana, ..sympathized with secess
' The record contradicts it. Marc
80 1S76-as appears by page 1,6Sl
Globe of that date-there came
the house of representatives, oil
LAWS he was then a member. this resol
had under a motion to suspend the rul'
l, the adopt it: "Resolved, That the dc
ngton that Il state has 4 right to seced'
OF be- tho Union is in conflict with the
zoos to a perpetual Union,' as contempla
the constitution, and should be re!
...-., as beng forever extlnguished by
>ults oi the recent civil conflict"