Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-12-01
What It Indicates.

abiding people, and less creditable to us
as Christian Nation. that Mr.. Scovills
should have been able to truthfully as
sert in the presence of the Court and
jury, that leading newspapers mad com.
mended the recent murderous assault
upon Guiteau. 1t is shameful and hu
initiating that such is the fact. But he
might have gone further and declared
that very large portion of the Ameri-
can people would receive the news of
the assassination of Guiteau with quiet
satisfaction, if not with positive decla-
rations of approval. Why is this, and
what does it indicate? Every citizen
admits that it would be illegal to wreak
summary vengeance upon the prisoner,
and yet, if the act were done, thousands
would be found ready to apologize for
it.
This indicates plainly enough that
many have lost faith in the prompt and
vigorous administration of criminal JUS
mend lynch-law does not arise from an
unwillingness to abide the action of the
courts, but from fear that there will
be a failure to administer justice on the
trial. The people have become so ac-
customed to see murderers escape
through defective laws, the ingenuity of
counsel, the faithlessness of jurors, the
exercise of executive clemency, and other
causes, that they are strongly tempted
to take the law into their own hands
whenever some peculiarly terrible homi-
eide has been committed. In this COM
munity, where murders have multiplied
at fearful rate. the popular cry is
Hanging is played out" 1t would not
be at all surprising if, even in this con-
servative city, under the excitement
consequent upon some diabolical deed of
blood, lynch law should be resorted TO-.
If it ever is, the courts will have to take
large share of the responsibility, not
becauae the people have lost respect for
law, but because they have come to re-
gard its administration as farce.
The safeguards thrown around the
citizen to protect him in his personal
rights and to shield him against illegal
arrests and unjust punishment, are too
often strained to secure the acquittal of
those who are actually and VIGOROUSLY
guilty. Criminals who possess wealth
or social influence are much more diff
cult to punish than those who are low
down in society, and yet the law is sup
posed to be no respeeter of persons.
When convictions are had there is no
end of delays by motions for new trials.
applications for pardon, and
other devices for gaining time, until the
people become disgusted and ready to
break through all legal restraints upon
the first provocation.
The remedy for this state of things is
a prompt, vigorous, and impartial ad-
of the criminal law. 1t in-1
wolves, however, such toning up of
public sentiment as will overcome the
Generalization prevalent in the jury
box, and exact higher standard of mo-
rality at the hands of the legal profess
sion. If people would turn their atten-
tion to denouncing faithless jurors in
stead of mobbing and lynching Offend
ers, it would have wholesome effect.
Attorneys are not free from censure,
since they not only strain the law, but
too often violate every principle of JUS
tice in their efforts to acquit criminals
whom they know to oe guilty of the Of
fenses charged. 1t is one thing to see
that defendant gets fair trial, but
quite different thing to shield him
from merited punishment. When the
law does the proper amount of hanging
the people will not be inclined to resort
to mobbing and lynching.-Pittsburgh
Commercial Gazette.