The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-10-04
CHEAP JUSTICE.

- EGLA fAI" AtA NHMr
it seems a hardship that Industrious and
law abiding citizens, who never impose any
bn, deus uanon their fellow men through any
,~,nisconduct, should be yearly taxed to re-
strain vice and lawlessness; yet the fact ofsuch
contributions TO the public revenue is what
give. peace to society, protection to the per-
son and security to property. The individu-
ais in communities That do nothing to re-
strain fawlessness have imposed on them a
greater burden than the tax warrants OF CIV
ilized society. They are at a personal charge
for wa cl,men and r~etainers about their prem
ises and escorts in their travels. l.awlessness
does most abound when the punishment Of
Offenders is most lax. Brigandage can only
exist in such countries As Italy and Greece,
where an unjust and oppressive form of gov
er,,ment has made the people c~rsvens, and
where infections of personal ri1ht ale over
looked by the civil authorities. 1t disappears
when the whole power of a government is
brought to hear to hunt down and bring
to punishment, the perpetrators of such a
crime. The oaly thing at all analogous to it
in this country has been the bank and train
robberies by the James and Younger brothers
and their successors. There was in these
cases Il NOR tying lack of governmental
efficiency, which might perhaps find some
palliatiou in the fact that these men were
among syn pathizers who had suffer Ell with
them from the concomitaLts of var. ttut,
in tile more receut instances, there seems to
be a disposition 10 stamp out the evil, regard
less uf cost. Cheap justice is a contradiction
OF Terms with it, crime increasts and the
public burdens multiply. a state is like All
inLividual-respected, if rights are asserted
despisel and imposed on, if weak and miser
able. Ii a man becomes a sheep the coyotes
will gather about him if Il worm, lie will be
,IuddtI upon.
The importance of such a thorough eXer-
cist Of tie powers Of government as to make
il a terror of evil-doers cannot be LOO fully
re- Al zed. Attention is now directed to this
matter by a statement in the Yellowstone
journal, of the -, h, that four hulse thieves,
having stolen hUlse from near Miles City. and
wlo had been arrrsted-two in Dakota and
two la WyoIning-up"n telegrapllic dis
patches from Sheriff Thomas. W. Irvine, had
to We turned loose because the Governor OF
Ills Territory refused "A requisition. 1t is in,
timated that the requisitions were refused on
the crsund Of expense. We do not Ueli We
that they We're refused on that ground. Sucl
otlic,ai action would NJ but a premium tc
horse thieves. 1t would be all advertisement
to them ~evelywilers that horse stealing could
be carried on with il unity here, prvrided
the tn leves were able 10 cross II / errilorAl
lie WIN their p}u der. l. would tot he JUS,
to our nrighbors WHO had exeltea themselves
to appr-l.rnd i~ugilivps from ~juttice. it Woult
lack the e.enIents Of high.ulindsu action, anu
would be- Il confession TO the world that on
care for Tie punishment of criminals termi
II .tcd after they had taken themselves to =
place where they might inlure otheIs-no
us. 1t would be like emityins our peniien
tiary with d condition annexed that our lib
Grated criminals should leave lis to go anC
prey upon our %ueighboIs. We do not cafe tc
st and be,ulr tlte world as that kind Of
people.