Morning journal and courier., 1881-09-13
COMMUNICATIONS.
Ex-MayOr SheIton's Arrest.

Ex-MayOr SheIton's Arrest.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER
 Connected with the subject of crimes is that of human rights. For instance, every person, every family, every community, every State and every nation has it's rights and one of these rights is the right to be deemed innocent until proven guilty The laws of nature. the common law and the statute law recognize this fundamental law of justice, and Is the anchorage ground of man, in every state, condition and circumstance of life. The State demands of every inhabitant allegiance, and in return pledges protection to every person or, in other words, every person owes the State allegiance, and tho State in return owes every person protection. What is the State? It is the body politic made up of those who live in it, and being made up of the body polite of individuals ''can do no wrong," in other words means always to do right, and to commit no wrong or out rage upon the individuals who compose it's whole. The forms of law are of our own making, and the officers of the law are of our own selection. This would seem to be the perfection of human devices for dispensing
 'equal and exact justice," but is it so in fact? We say no, for officers of the law may at any time turn the law into outrages most monstrous-for personal or political ends. Does the State always afford that protection which it's constitution and laws vouchsafe to all her inhabitants? We say no.
 Can it be said in the case of ex-Mayor Shelton that assalIng mans house at mid night, demanding admission and then pro- ceeding to arrest and remove the victim to the lockup-there to be insulted by refusal to take his own bonds for the few hundred dollars demanded for appearance at court the next morning-was the fault of the law {? We say no, for such act and doing was the prostitution of the laws process.
 The case we referred to was not only the assumption of guilt, but of wholesale disre- gard of wife children and friends No in- quiry, no delay on his part though the per- sons making the accusation had waited and kept back her story of wrongs for months. Our ex-Mayor had right to protection against that woman's story, at least for the balance of the night. Under this practice no man is safe, no family is protected and not one drop of protection is afforded, under the laws, for the one man power may at his own option and selection take in the story of any person in the night season, and that very night rob a whole family of their respecta- bility and standing in society.
 The law, in it's purity, assumes the accused to be innocent until proven guilty The transaction of last week assumes just the re- verse.
 The writer was once in the office of the Mayor of Buffalo when a woman came in and begged for help because her husband had the rheumatism and her children were hungry. we saw the Mayor give her five dollar bill, and she departed. After many days came the pretended husband and wife demanding $500 or the crime he had committed, for which he had paid the five dollars, would be made public or prosecuted.
 Many years ago prominent merchant on Chapel street was similarly complained of and was hauled up" but his own recogni- zance was accepted. When hearing day came, to prove him the father of child to be born in three months, he proved that he had been absent from the State on business for twelve months. SEYoN.