The weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1883, 1883-02-07
UNCALLED FOR.

Ofall the Inaccessible and unwarranted
measures offered in a legislative body,
the resolution presented by Councilman
Witter, Of Silver Bow, incorporating the
charge of felony against the Hon. Charles
&. Cox, of Custer county, is the most I'M
blushing evidence of how far partisan
malice and venom may go to accomplish
it's ends. After a carful review of the
charges and specifications and the verdict
of the Court Martial, we can only arrive
at the conclusion that Gnexcusable
thought it maybe Mr.. Cox was in the
habit Of getting drunk, and while in that
condition, did many foolish things, suffi-
cient, no doubt, to warrant the interfer-
ence of a Court Martial, but we have yet
to learn that trial and conviction by a
Court Martial has ever had any standing
or the binding force of a law, as applied
to any crimes known under our criminal
law, and for one to hold that the opera
ton of verdict under Court Martial,
is the same ESQ far as the rights Of citizen
ship are concerned) as verdict in the
civil courts, is simply absurd. Sec. SIG,
page SIG of the Revised Statistics, is as
follows: "No person under guardian
ship non compos n,entis, or insane, nor
any person convicted of treason, felony
or bribery in this Territory, or any other
Territory or State in the Union, unless
restored to civil rights, shall be permit
ted to vote at any election" This can
only mean to be operative in cases tiled
by the civil authorities. No person can
be convicted of a felony except by a
trial, and that too, by a jury of his fellow
citizens.
This charge is no new one, it has been
trumped through the Territory upon the
stump and in the press for two years.
The constituents of Mr.. Cox were not
ignorant of it and yet they elected him
by handsome majority to represent
them in the Council. We have heard
the gentleman say he was cashiered; so
was Fitz John Porter, but tardy justice
is being meted out to him. after many
years. The army has been noted for its
rigid rules, that the officer must be a
gentleman in all his relations, and many
men have been cashiered for what was
weakness. The morale of the army had
to be preserved, good examples were
necessary to be set by officers to insure
the respect of the private soldier, but
nothing they could do, no verdict they
could find, could in any manner affect
the right of citizenship, and to pretend
TO claim now that the verdict OF a Court
Martial, however severe, in any manner
disqualiiies person from voting or hold
ing Office, is an absurdity. The civil
authority can only determine that, and
although indiscreet. Mr.. Cox may have
beel: indeed, inexcusable morally speak
ing, l,r conduct while in the army. We
must protest that no military verdict be
brought against him at this late day, and
when it seems to us it has been done
simply upon partisan grounds. Why
was not the objection made hen he was
sworn in? No one in Montana can
plead ignorance until sworn of the fact
of the Court Martial having tried Mr..
Cox. It has been trumpeted far and
near. The gentleman made a caustic
reply, and in burning words denounced
the motives and purposes of the author
Of the resolution.