The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-17
LAW AND ITS ENFORCEMENT.


The Rockville Republican, Sin view of the
~rapidity with which crime is increasing in
county and State" urges law-abiding citi-
zens to take steps looking to the protection
of life and property. There may be detected
a grim irony in such a suggestion, the neces-
sity of which will not be questioned. Super
ficially viewed, it is a paradox that govern
ment, founded to project the people, should
be protected by the people. That is, that
that which the people form for mutual pro-
lection should require spasmodic support to
keep it from dying of hamilton, and to
make it in truth what it is in theory.
There is reason for the Repu blican's call.
Crime is busy everywhere. 1t is safe to say
that every note in the diapason of wrong
Murder, arson, theft, forgery, counterfeit
ing, criminal assaults. drunkenness and
marital infidelity are all too common. Court
calendars are burdened with such cases,
prisons are full of men and women charged
with one or more of these ~offenses. Life,
property, person, virtue and morality, all
are threatened and in danger. Scarcely
a day goes by without the neces-
sity of recording one or more of the
graver crimes above enumerated. The tide
of crime seems to rise and fall with the same
regularity and resistlessness as the tides of
ocean. Receding for a time, the vigilance of
courts and people is relaxed and a feeling of
security induces a mistaken mercy toward
yiolators of law. Gathering force with such
encouragement, the body of lawlessness
grows and spreads, and crawls and creeps
and rushes, until at last the very foundation
of society is threatened and the people
awake.
While there may be no sufficient excuse
for this recurrence of frequent crime, there
is a reason. Government in America is of
the people. 1t partakes of the nature of the
people, and as they are stern and unyield-
ing, SO is the government they constitute. 1t
is vain to enact laws inhibiting crime unless
the motive that suggested their need is sufi-
cient to enforce them. One prolific source
OF evil in the way our laws are null
lifted is the way in which counsel
juggle with technicalities and clothe
them with more importance than is placed
upon the spirit of the law. From the mo-
ment the assassin drives his knife through
the body Of his victim he enjoys the benefit
of every possible bubble that can be raised,
and court and jury give all these things a
solemn consideration that would be ludi-
crous we're it not e%xasperating and harmful
to the sacredest rights Of the people. A man
is murdered for his money-cut, shot or
the act, with his hands still. red and the purse
OF the slain in his pocket. 1t is a clear case
of assassination, The law grips the perpetra-
tor, drags him to prison and locks him up to
await a fair examination OF his case. 1t
would seem that his chances of hanging
were good. His offense was fragrant and the
law appears plain enough. He has wantonly
and purposely slain a man, and the law says
the penalty is death. Butin the proceedings
that follow, the details of which are
often carried TO absurd length, the crimi-
nal is given every advantage. Any flaw
anywhere, from arrest to execution, may be
enough to vitiate the entire proceedings, 1t
may he proved hat the man was caught in
the act OF murder that he plunged the knife
repeatedly into the body Of his victim; that