New-York tribune., 1882-04-07
LAWLESS DENOLEfCY.

in emphasizing that unpleasant TACT.
LAULESS DEMOCRACY.
Missouri is a Democratic State. It's Governor
is a Democratic Governor. Yet here is an
alleged Democratic organ, The World, say
ing things of this Democratic State and
Governor much harshcr than THE TRIBUNE
ever said, when it excited the wrath of Bour-
bons by describing The lack OF civilization in
"the rObbcr State" 1t comments upon the
"distnctly medieval air" OF the story of the
James boys, declares that "eyen the English
heroes of highway robbery never attained
"anything like the distinction of the late Mr..
james, and says:
There every believe that if he hal sent In
his card to any public meeting Of Missourans assembled
in any numbers for purpose and stood alone IN the
doorway with pistols the congregation would have
filed meekly past him. dropping all it, yauabes ms lt
went Such a story might have been credible genera
ton ago 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 civilized
country The civilization OF Missouri. however IA more
compromised by The death Of James than by his life. His
murder appears to have been the result of n bargain
made between his murderer and the Governor Of Mis-
souri, who had offered reward for the BODY of James
dead or alive" thus revvg for the capture Of James
the media,yal ban OF outlawry. In other words tho
Of Missouri seems OF MS own moLOn 70
licensed citizen of that state to commit murier and TO
have put himaf the disagreeablc position Of an acces
sory before the fact capital crime. The murder or
Janes which was committed by two men who had been
months making OF his hospitality by watch
ing their chance Kill him, at least trcacherous
and coid-bloodcd as any murder which lie himself
committed and for this last murder hc Governor
Of Missouri has the whole State responsible. 1t l.
not in the least likely that either the Governor his
"pas" VIII be punished. The excuse that it was pub
lie necessity b Of James and that he could have
rid Of I'm other way Will doubtless be accepted
by any Missouri jury. But the acquitta VIII leave the
cviliz tion OF the State in plight than ever,
since il will De confession that the laws OF Missouri
be vindicatcd against single outlaw, and that
the only way in VIII. Missourian murderer can be
punished for the hire anOh murderer to kill
him
This seems extraordinary language to appear
in q Democratic organ, in respect to Demo
cratic Governor, and yet ii is curiOusly sup
ported by the statements OF the Governor him
self as given in an interview published by
THE HcraH. Being asked whether the Ford
brothers had acted under his instructions, the
Governor is reported as replying:
satisfied with the result Of their action. and feel
confident that Will meet with the sanction OF every
lawabdug citizen not only of this State, bat through
the United states, VINO has proper understanding
Of the surroundings o. the and due appreciation of
the enforcement Of the law. Even II the nstrumentai-
ties bear upon their face exhibit Of justice,
etl time will develop that the end us1es the
When your house Is burning You stand not upon The
method Of extinction. For sixteen years this has
been made the sufferer nj home and abroad to the extent
Of millions of dollars by the operations OF Jesse James
and h- desperate gang. Thousands OF quiet citizens in
transit from the Last the West ana from the West
the East have avoided this state they would epcr.
Now, in the face OF these events, should com
plain Of whatever indirect have been used in
accom- piishment OF this great success
The Governor, il seems, does not claim that
81 the instrumentalities bear upon their face
the true exhibit of justice" but believes that
in this case 1.-THE end justifes the MEANS"
Translated into English, this is plain admis-
sion that a 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
secrcte them; thousands more who were
alert to warn them whenever detectives
were on their track, and not few who treated
them as 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
PnkertOn, and not 10y the State or local Off
cials; and if anything had been proved against
them, it may be doubted whether a jury in
their own region could have been found to
bring in II verdict of murder. Because of this
prevailing sympathy with lawcssness, it must
be inferred from the Governors statement, the
authorities were driven to the use OF wholly
illegal means in order TO rid the country of a
dangerous outlaw. The necessity was so clear
and great he maintains, chat the end justified
the means.
There are two reflections which will occur
to readers in civilized parts of the country.
The first is that no Republican speaker
OF journalist has ever painted the state
of society in Missouri in colors darker than
its Democratic Governor uses. If the
State did not strictly deserve for years the
harshest of the phrases applied to it, why not
And next precisely the same lawcssness
which, as the Governor now admits, has made
quiet citizens avoid the State as they would
a lcper,n has characterized other Democratic
States, and has made honest immigration avoid
them also. The James outlaws had not the
thin excuse OF political passion or partisan
cagcrncss for their bloody deeds. But other
murlcrcrs as guilty as they, and even more
guilty, are TO this day shielded by public SEN
timent, and practically prote ted by Democratic
officials, in several Southern States
THE RIVAL BINKRUPICY BILLS
l.,.