Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-05-05
lanraster fntellige1lcer.
EVENING. NAY s, 1880.
A DISGUISED Blessing.

A Disguised Blessing.
Those Snyder boys are excellent ma
terial to point a moral and adorn a tale.
No doubt they were created for a wise
purpose, which seems to be the secure
ment of an adjudication of the proper
relations of the different members of so
ciety to one another; of judges to
editors, of lawyers to clients who are the
best workers in their wards, of policemen
to criminals of that class, and editors to
everybody. 1t ought to be easily ascer-
tained but it seems to be formed with diff
ficulty. The Judge has but to decide the
law, the lawyer to present his clients
case, the policeman to arrest the crimi-
nal, and the editor to observe that these
duties are fairly performed. The diff
Guilty comes in adjudicating as to the
fairness. Public opinion decides it; and
when the judge chooses to defy public
opinion, by means of the power in
his hands, it can never be for long. Just
now the Snyder boys are serving an ex-
cellent purpose in evolving public opin-
ion upon the very interesting questions
which are at issue between the judges
and editors, lawyers and policemen. 1t
does not SO much matter what the law is,
as what it should be, since it is certain
to be made what the public judgment
decides that it ought to be. If it is right
that policemen should arrest notorious
offenders to have them released by parti-
san lawyers and commonwealth attor-
neys, because of their political services
and through prostitution of the ma
chinery of justice, and if it is right that
the court whose processes are thus used
should not condemn the act and punish
the offending lawyers, but should con-
denim and punish editors who commented
upon the way in which justice was admin
istered and who inquired whether politi-
cal prejudice guided its course, then the
people will say so and the law will say
so; and if the public verdict is otherwise
the law eventually will follow it. Let
us then regard these dear Snyder boys as
benefactOrs, and bless them.
We observe that our policemen are
somewhat in doubt as to how they should
regard them; and truly they have cause,
The Snyder boys have been an especial
thorn in their side. In view of the diff
cult conundrum presented to them in de-
Gliding how they should treat the Snyders,
we feel like suggesting that our Lancas.
ter police ought to be very bright set OF
boys and should be carefully educated
that their minds may be strengthened to
an adequate discharge of their duties. A
special school of instruction for police
men might proftably be established il
connection with our common school Sys
TEN to which the strongest headed boys
might be promoted. For obviously when
men are sworn to arrest every violator o.
the law and are nevertheless forbidden
by their superiors in the administration
of justice to arrest the guilty when tht
guilty are '' the best workers in tht
ward" and are charged, when they dc
arrest them, with being prompted by po
litical feeling, /" the best workers - being
promptly turned out to work agains
them at the next election-such men nee(
to be philosophers and wise men O
the most approved pattern. An or
dinary man in such STATE
of affairs would become bewilderet
as to his duty, as our policemen seen
now to be. The chief keeps pretty cool
If seems and in view Of the late demon
stration against the law of the Snyder
boys, proposes to consult the district at
torney as to whether it would be wortl
while to arrest such approved politica
workers. We sympathize with the chie1
in his dilemma. We are in one ourselves
We are inclined to think that we would
he justified in using strong expressions il
reference to such an administration o
justice as can leave the policemen il
doubt as to whether he will be applaudet
or abused by his superiors for arrestin.
undoubted criminals. We forbear to U.s.
them because of the interesting question
pending in the supreme court as to hov
far we may 60 in expressing our opinion
of our judges and for the further rea
son that the English language is hardl.
rich enough to afford us an adequate ex
preston of our sentiments on the sub
ject.
Serious Charges Repeated.
We invite the Honorable John B