The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-10-24
R. II, Miller, Esq, in p.,.
Charges Made By the OpD,!;.


Editor Peoples Adviser.
In a recent issue or y,n A
notice an article signed aIo'
pealing to the prejudice Of
and those supposed to be- n su "
with them, for which I bcg n
of your columns briefly ia 5., NJ u
Before the Legislature d t'',
which l was member tu. = r
were presented for settling M
question Of what was 10 he \.
persons convicted of mi>l.n,..
petty crimes. As the law ~.
and now stands, larceny w.. \
into grand and petit lareenr 4,
value of ten dollars; that /. 49,
ty of stealing property yalBe3
ten dollars were guilty of gr,na \ Il
and punishable in the penitsnS
those guilty of stealing un5Sr
lars in value, were guilty OF n,,t
ny, and punishable bv imnri.,.e Y
the county Jail. But an per,oa.
of stealing livestock, hogs. 49, =
tie, etc, Were, and are now ~ =
grand larceny, and punishqbls%
penitentiary regardless of ysIoa
regarded this law as cruelar3
| never could see why it was any,
crime to steal a pig worth az
than to steal nine dollars in NAM.
so the laws stands.
A man convicted of stealing
subject to Imprisonment In M
tiary for years, there to be NINA.
the will Of the person to whom
be hired by the lesecs.
And when it wus proposed ia Ii, b
the county prisoners, / argued 4 i
would be to establish q whipni',
not regulated by law, in all tbeeT
and that too, for all small IA
And ! ask every fairmipied man h
Is not true to-day?
We have now, under the present ]
a whipping-Post in every county \ y
State, and it applies to the man N
convicted of proGaue swearing
racing on the public highway. NJ,
small ofienses, rs well as to lbsI
thief.
Anxious to avoid this state Of N y
] introduced what Justice" uR,
whipping-post bill, whica repe,ls
pig law, and then provided t6a,a
offenders convicted of petit M
should be whipped accordiugtohr
stripe for each dollars worth Of p-
ty stolen.
SO under my bill, man who "a
pig worth one dollar, or one doUi
money, only got one stripe. and
turned loose, whether he paid he
or not; whereas now, If convicted
sent either to the pcui,cntiaryoroa
farm, he may be struck at the pH
whipping posts one Thousand hA
dependent entirely upon the will 4
contractor. Under my bill
could never be struck over ten
IL applied TO thieves aud 20 no
/ submit, then, to a fair and iuni
public, if my plan were not ths
cruel of the two, The only diaF
is, / called it by its, proper nam
whipping-post, and the present Ia
commonly called the county con-
law.
A law similar to the one inirolu
prevails to-day in a large numh
The States of the Union, and that
IN much older aud more enlighr
communities than our own. Il
aw at present in Canada, the d,
" of England, the oldest, most civil
people on this continent.
Both the plans were discussed n
,anvass in which | was elected, an
vas elected by both races in my co1
,ver a prominent Independent, by
argest majority ever given for any
Iidate in Copiah county. ! refer
'eople Of this county to the col0rft
Thite voters Of Copiah, among Whoa
ave practiccd law for ten years q
yhether the cruelty Of heart attribl
. me by Justice is true or not
However, Justice or any ID
onest man, need not fear the Ta
es of either system.
Respectfully,
II. y. MILES