Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-08-23
aal,easter fntelllQc,,te,
EVENING, AUd. 2s.lse2
DsIiberatIon Necessary.

Our contemporary, the Neo Era, ex-
presses its disappointment that Brim-
mers the alleged inSehdiary, is not to he
put nPea teiaa this- -wselEs--Et deelases
that promptitude In puDishing crime is
. great aid towards its repression, and
cites with approval practice which it
alleges prevails in Philadelphia of put
ting upon trial immediately men who
arc caught: red handed in the commission
of offences and about whose guilt little
doubt can be felt This expression Of
opinion on the part Of the Ne,o Era is
likely to be popular. but nevertheless
we be'ieve 1t to b . wrong opinion. Iu
our judgment the law should be admin
istered to an alike; its convictions and
scquittals should come speedily as we'll
as certainly: but not with q speed that
may be unfair either to the prisoner or
the commonwealth. Every man is en-
titled to plead not guilty and he il guar
anteed fair trial. It u q necessity Of
such . trial that be should be given a
reasonable time to prepare his defence !;
and also that he should be tried by calm
and unprejudiced jurors. It adds moth
ing to tho dignity of the law or to
the respect which it commands to " rail-
rOad' . prisoner to Jail in the first mo.
ments of his arrest. There is too much
of . flavor Of lynch law about such
haste. II is prompted by the excitement
in the public mind /; but that very ex.
citement forbids an immediate trial 4,
because it forbids an impartial
and calm jury. When a commu-
nifty has prejudged the case of an ac-
cused person. he is entitled under the
law to have the place of his trial
changed to county where such
prejudgment has not been had !;
aud where he is tried among the
people against whom his offense has been
immediately committed, he may in all
fairness demand that he shall not be
tried while the public feeling is in its
first red heat. Brimmer's alleged offense
was committed on last Saturday, and
his demand that his trial should not
take place immediately was reasonable
and could not have been refused in our
judgment Ivy y just judge, whatever may
be the rules of the court in this regard.
We quite agree with our contemporary
that the conduct of the officers of justice,
and up to the very judicial seat, has not
been such in the past as TO inspire un-
limited confidence in the minds of the
people that justice will certainly he
meted out to all criminals, especially
those who command political influence.
We have 50 said repeatedly and we have
come under the ban OF the judges for so
saying. But we do not as yet see any
thing in the case on hand 10 warrant
any further declaration of this kind OF
to substantiate the reflection of our con-
temporary upon Judge Patterson, who
presides in the court this week, for his
failure to force Brimmer to trial. The
NeO Era says:
In tho face of tho we'll known fact that
the en6s of justice have in the past been
delayed and frustrated by the conduct of
those whose duty il is to stand between the
public and the violation of law, the post
ponemept Of tho &, ial of Brimmer is not cal
culated to allay public suspicion or to dis
arm criticism. The district attorney, the
special counsel for the common wealth, and
the grand jury acted promptly, and we
cheorfuliy award them the credit due.
We deeply regret tho postponement of the
trial. to another term, for We have reason
to know that the application of a little
Philadelphis Justice might have been q
great aid In bringing others Of the gang to
justice, who will now fall back on their
often-expressed confidence that those
whom thcy have served by their peculiar
methods of the past will get them out OF
trouble in the future. This may have
been, and We hope it was, an idle boast
but We know it has served Is stimulus
to hold the gang together in . brotherhood
Of rowdyism and crime, and is still one OF
their bonds Of union.
If it be true that the firebug gang have
reason to lie encouraged in the further
prosecution of their crimes by the fail
ure to try their arrested associate at
once, then . very much greater harm
has come upon the community than
though all its property was laid in ashes
for its temple Of justice will be in ruins.
We see no cause in the proper delay in
this case 10 declare this hateful thing
nor will we until we find that this prls
oner is not to be fairly tried and certainly
convicted if he is proven guilty. Let us
have certainly in the punishment Of
crime and reasonable celerity but no
lynching or railroading and no prema-
ture aspersions upon the officers of the
law. ",..,.
Here Treable for the Stalwarts.
The Stslwarts of the state are meet
ing with greater troubles than they an.