Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-04-11
Lawless Democracy.

Lawless Democracy.
Missouri is democratic State. Its Gov
ernor is democratic Governor. Yet here is
an alleged democratic organ, The World,
saying things of this democratic State and
governor much harsher than The Tribune
ever said, when it excited the wrath of Bour-
bons by describing the lack of civilization in
''the robber State" 1t comments upon the
"distinctly medieval air" of the story of the
James boys, declares that ''even the English
"heroes of highway robbery never attained
anything like the distinction of the late Mr..
"James," and says:
There is every reason to believe that if he
had sent ia his card to any public meeting of
Nissourians assembled in any numbers for
any purpose, and stood alone in the doorway
with two pistols, the congregation would have
filed meekly past him, dropping all its valu-
ables as it went. Such story might have
been credible a generation ago of Greece, of
Sicily, or of Naples; but it would have been
plausibly insisted that the country in which
such things could happen could not be civil
lied country. The civilization of Missouri how
ever, is more compromised by the death of
James than by his life. His murder appears to
have been the result of a bargain made be-
tween his murderer and the Governor of
Missouri, who had offered reward for the
body of James dead or alive" thus re-
viving for the capture of James the medieval
ban of outlawry. In other words, the
Governor of Missouri seems of his
own motion to have licensed a citizen
Of that State to commit murder, and to
have put himself in the disagreeable position
Of n m hofnra kha fanf 70 ;tol
crime. The murder of James. which was
committed by two men who had been for
some months making use of his hospitality
by watching their chance to kill him, was at
least rs treacherous and as cold-blOoded as
any murder which he himself ever committed
and for this last murder the Governor of
Missouri has made the whole State response
BILE. 1t is not in the least likely that either
the Governor or his ''pals' will be punished
The excuse that it was public necessity to
be rid of James and that he could have been
got rid of in no other way will doubtless be
accepted BY any Missouri jury. But the &C.
quittal will leave the civilization of the State
in q worse plight than ever, since it will be a
confession that the laws of Missouri cannot
be indicated against a single outlaw, and
that the only way in which Missourian muir
derer can be punished is for the State to hire
another murderer to kill him.
This seems extraordinary language to ap-
pear in democratic organ, in respect to
democratic Governor, and yet it is curiously
supported by the statements Of the Governor
himself, as given in an interview published
by The Herald. Being asked whether the
Ford brothers had acted under his instruc-
tons, the Governor is reported as replying:
I am satisfied with the result of their &C.
ton, and feel confident that it will meet
with the sanction Of every law.abiding citi-
zen, not only Of this State, but throughout
the United States, who has a proper under
standing Of the surroundings of the case and
due appreciation Of the enforcement of the
law. Even If the instrumentalities bear not
upon their face true exhibit of justice, still
time will develop that the end justifes the
means. When your house 10 burning you
stand not upon the method Of extinction
For sixteen years this State has been made
the sufferer at home and abroad to the extent
Of millions of dollars by the operations of
Jesse James and his desperate gang. Thou
sands Of quiet citizens In transit from the
East to the West and from the West to the
East have avoided this State as they would .
lsper. Now, in the face of these
events, should complain of whatever indi-
tCCt tuVauS HaNc Uccu uScu iu tue dCCOulpitSu-
ment Of this great success?
The Governor, it seems, does not claim
that s'the instrumentalities bear upon their
face the true exhibit Of justice" but believes
that in this case ''the end justiies the
means" Translated into English, this is q
plain admission that dozen outlaws have
for years been so sustained and shielded by
public opinion in Missouri that it has been
to the end impossible to reach them BY due
process Of law. They found thousands ready
to secrete them thousands more who were
alert to warn them whenever detectives were
on their track, and not q few who treated
them ~ heroes. 1t was impossible to arrest
them; If they had been arrested, nothing
could have been proved against them except
BY the evidence of detectives employed by
Pinkerton, and not by the State or local off,
Gals; and If anything had been proved against
them, it may be doubted whether = jury in
their own region could have been found to
bring in q verdict of murder. Because Of
this prevailing sympathy with lawlessness, it
must be inferred from the Governors state
nent, the authorities were driven to the use
Of wholly illegal means in order to rid the
country of dangerous outlaw. The neces-
sit3 was so clear and great, he maintains,
shat the end justified the means.
There are two reflections which will occur
60 readers in civilized parts Of the country.
The hrst Il that no republican speaker or
sonruslfak he's ever painted The sfate Of societv