American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-02-07
Criminal Trials.

the States are overllowingly full of
criminals, and all the criminal courts Of
the country are kept pretty constantly
at work trying criminal cases. 1t is not
To he wondered at when all the facts
are stated. The birthplace of the Re-
publican party has fewer been definite
ly stated. Several localities claim the
infamous notOriety, but the matter is rs
much in doubt as are the causes which
lead 10 the appearance and spread OF
yellow f6ver; eholcra, plague, or any of
the family OF sco'irSes that an inscruta-
BILE Providence permits 10 visit the
world for the destruction of hliifian life.
This much. however, has been learned
like the scourges we have named, it
is well known that the Republican
party had It's origin amidst the poison
Gus exhalatiof15 of hate and malice, and
in every stage of its development it has
been curse to the country. It's in
fiuenee has been demoralizing from the
day OF It's spawning, and as its con-
troll of public hsT4its broadened,
crime increased, until the great
public life and character was
t;rinted by its pestilential breath and
touch. When the country was in the
grasp OF tfHr, and thousands of patri-
OTIS were yielding Up their lives for the
integrity of the Union. It furnished
men who, approaching the opportunity,
fattened upon the misfortunes of their
country, and, when the storm of war
had passed away, still appreciatlng
their advantages, managed to have the
obligations of the Government changed
by which they robbed the people of
millions, setting atl example of frauds
so stupendous and infamous that they
will forever blacken the page of his
tory that records them. Strange us it
may appear, it is an ineflaceable truth
that with the declaration of peace the
floodgates Of crime were opened, and
| from Washington, from every depart
mcnt of the Government, there flowed
out over the land steady streams of
corruption, rising higher as they flowed
until the people stood amazed before
the unparalleled display of depravity.
The South was overrun with thieves,
each with his credentials, showing the
broad seal of the Government. The
Navy department, the Post-oflice de-
partment, the department of the In
terror, the War department and the
the Treasury department were
honeycombed with fraud, and
to the insuferable stencil of cor
manipulated and made to play into The
hands of the debauching gang of Off
cials. Men in high places were check
by iowl with the vilest creatures of the
slums; whisky thieves had admittance
to the White House; straw bids were
manufactured in the Post-oflice de-
partment; swindling jobs were con-
Cocted in the Navy department. The
Attorney-General gave opinions in
favor of bold rascalities; Indian con-
tracts were perfected for the special
purpose of robbery, and in the War de-
partment continuous swindling was
carried forward. While this was going
on other officials were stealing ut the
rate of one hundred million dollars an
nually. Such influences had their le-
Ultimate effect. Crime increased. IL
was q carnival of larceny-universal
debauchery-a saturnalia of fraud. The
distinguished rascals escaped; the
scoundrels of less note only were
caught, and thousands went unwhipped
of Justice. Thousands and tens of thou
sands of Republicans saw the danger
and abandoned their party; and in the
day of the country's distress and
humiliation appealed to the Democratic
part; to rescue it. 1t promptly
responded, and for six years has been
battling agains+ Republican crimes and
corruptions. But the party of crime,
strongly intrenched, was not so easily
dislod9ed, and in 1876 was able by the
utilization of crime to strike down the
will of the people declared by a major
ity of more than 100000 votes, and
even now the press of the country is
CRYING out against the increase OF crime
and the enormous cost of trying GRIM
inals, and a demand is made for such
changes in the laws regulating criminal
trials as shall reduce the cost. In some
of the States the cost of trying Grim
inals is bankrupting counties, and crime
goes unpunshed that money may be
saved. In addition to this the honesty
of juries is discredited, the technicali-
ties of law and the rulings OF courts
are criticised unsparingly, until the
whole machinery of criminal jurispru-
dence is brought into disrepute. The
New York Herald in commenting upon
the subject says:
Trials are spun out by the qurks and sub
telties of lawycrsa and the introduction of great
masses of testimony which are mere ch;tif ana
husk envelopng the few kernels of PROOF on
which the case really turns. As trials are now
conducted. they have IA greater tendency to
confuse and befog the jurors than to enlighten
them. The testimony of experts, which often
consumes much time, has come to be re-
of IA farce first, because the mental training OF
jurors does not qualify them 10 judge of such
evidence, and, secondly, because II set of cX-
perts can always be produced by the defense
To contradict the experts OF the prosecution
Except to the existence OF poison IN
corpse the identity of Il handwriting, ex-
pert testimony seldom has any weight with
jury. 1t is to be hoped that some method may
be discovered for shortening trials without
detracting from their fairness and justice.
Quick work is now the demand.
Criminals are too numerous for long
trials. Life and liberty are no longer
to be taken into consideration. The
curse of Republicanism has eaten like
u cancer into the very vitals of society.
1t has outgrown the old methods, and,
SAYS the Herald, unless the trial by
Jury can be reformed and simpliiied
we shall be driven at last To adopt |
something like the French system, in |
which the trial begins by an examine |
ton of the prisoner by the Judge, who |
narrows the ground of inquiry by shut
ting out the subterfuges which criml- |
nails and their lawyers invent during |
the progress of the ease before they |
have disclosed their line of defense"
This then is the last resort-the
French method of trial, where one man
shall virtually hold the issues Of life and
death, liberty and imprisonment. 1t
would be difficult to exhibit Republi-
canism in a more repulsive light; and
yet this party of colossal and unnum-
bered iniquities asks for a new lease OF
power. -Indid,aapOltS Sentinel