Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1880-07-23

Agents for the "Teller."


perhaps not always perfect In every |
particular, it has its rules and laws,
by which each citizen subject is in du-
ty bound to acqaiesce till these rules
and laws are changed. No citizen
can safely resist the operations of
these laws and not subject himself to
becoming an outlaw, as much so as the
thief, the highwaman and the murderer.
By this organization of society the ex-
ecution of the laws alone devolves |
upon the duly qualified officers and
the proper Interpretation of these laws
is left alone to the authorized judicial
tribunals. This theory is the only
practical one upon which society can
long hold together, and it is the only
one which can give protection to per-
son and property. 1t matters not
whether it be in sparsely settled
community, like our territories, or in
the more densely settled communities,
like our states and city government.
There may be such administration Of
the laws by the officers; if so the rem
edy lies not in the individual citizen
assuming to administer the laws nc
cording to his individual conception Of
them, but in seeking their due execu
ton by the proper representatives Of
the whole people for whom they were
created. But it has been found that
certain class of men, generally those
who themselves are impatient Of the
restrainst which the laws impose upon
them, and oftentimes through great
impatience to have their views of jus
tice or their revenge meet out speedily
sometimes discard all laws and author
ity, save their own will. 1t is not de
MED that under the administration Of
the laws by the proper authorities,
wrongs will sometimes be committed,
hat sometimes the guilty will 80 free,
hut these wrongs had better be
suffered without the means of redress,
and the guilty go free in some cases
than that the whole fabric of society
be overturned by private citizens as
Stunning to administer the laws to suit
their individual conceptions, whether
in civil or criminal matters, thereby
endangering the rights Of oil, and often
times meeting out punishment to the
innocent Better that ten guilty men
escape than that one innocent man be
punished. Hence we say, unqualified
ly that all vigilance committees or as
sociatioi,s Of men, organized to mee'
out punishment to offenders, save thost
who seek to act through and by meanl
of the regularly established courts anc
the duly constituted officers of tn,
laws, and strictly under and by virtu,
of the laws, where laws aud officer,
exist, are blast upon any community
and their conduct is wholly withou
excuse or palliation. We, unhesita
tingly say that we have no confidence
in the pretended good citizenship o
Aay man or set of men who think ans
act differently, and they are o danger
Gus element in society, whateve
claims they may set up to be other
wise, and no intelligent and sane PEG
pic will long countenance or end~r
that class of persons, if they have tn
power to do otherwise. If our lsgis
lators make bad Jaws or fail to max,
those that can meet out justice to tn
citizen, it behooves every good citize,
to seek the remedy from the source
whence the evil sprung rather than i,
resistance, or in making individual
laws to meet the case. If our court
and officers are corrupt, expose then
and ell Their places by others who vii
do their duty fearlessly and not b
slow about their duty. There neve
should be any individual antagonist
against the laws and authorities which
the whole people hav'
placed over the citizen, except in tn
manner we hava indicated. If it b,
exercised in case without punish
ment, it will be in another and an
ether, and so on, ad infnitum till an
shy reign supreme throughout tn
Ind, and no man will have protection