Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-01-26
THE REALISM OF JUSTICE.

\ court Of Liverpool recently sen
fenced a rich man tn five Years penal
servitldr for shooting at police of
f!crrs who attempted to arrest him.
Ii is stated as Il matter Of surprise
that Justice should ovrrtakc a man
who had an Income Of S:b.'sD Il year.
The court actually eisrcgar,lcd the
Income Of ti. accused Ii" appears
to have received about the same con
sidcration that Il hedge and ditch
lahnrrr in a s,nock frock would have
received. There Wa, the crime fully
provrd: and there was the penalty.
1t ought not to hr Il singular fact
that court of justice is no respccter
Of pcr,on>. Theoretically Y. courts do
not know Il rich man in distinction
from Il poor one. In England they
do sometimes send Il Lord to the
House of Correction for some out
raycou> crime. There Is great deal
of respect there for blue blood and
wealth. But there is Il great deal of
Respect there for tine administration
of justice. The particular instance
noticed is extensively cited in this
country rs though ii were something
extraordinary. Why should that
view be taken of the matter if there
/, not strong impression that. in
tins country at least. very rich man
would fare differently in the courts
from a very Iocr man. Ii both were
charged witt! the same oti'rnac. OF
course. Il man of wealth whose condi-
ton of ease Removes him from MANY
temptations to commit Il crime. has
less cXcU,r for ii
One would think that an income of
S:hh.Hnb Il year might he enjoyed with
Il great deal more satisfaction out Of
prison than III it. But wealth does
not always keep men from commit
ting crime. The man with $:O.UOO
nay he Is Slow is vulgar. and aS much
inclined to criminal acts ii; another
without income who takes To highway
robbery. Sudden wealth obtained by
ignorant men Sometimes give, them
Il sense of unlimited power. They
have an impression that they can in
dlllTc III the paatlnir of shooting and
manning without being iudirially
called To account. The theory of
Justice Is tha. poor and rich urr alike
before the law; and tia. it is not of
the least Consequence. VIXEN in Il court
OF Justice. that one Iuan is worth ten
millions and the othrr Is not worth
ten cents. 1t Is Il pity that this I'M
Preston could lot in some WAY be
dcrprnrd i'll thrrommnniIy. 1t would
not then seem an extraordinary cir
culn>tancc that Il nan with an income
OF S:io.om shoald, fora hriuou, crime.
he condemned as a trlon
IL never met All ideal Yankee. with
the tail %anht body and lank hair"
witness the Rev Edwin Paxton Hood.
an English Clergyman. who has re
Gently returned home from visit to
this country: the tobacco chewing.
rXpectorating stick whittier never
crossed my path: the Dragging calcu
lator. lmpertincntly interrogatiny the
stranger. never came in my way. l
lrlr"at"d him. therefore. t. the region
of fiction. | found in his stead. a
pleasant and staid and unusually ret
lcrnt man. or bright. intelligent.
cultured woman. both knowing how
to respect Themselves and usually
c"m!nHn'lil;s Respect. and how often
my ati.cti"n.'
y thica--o news. .a;'rr reporter who
WAS walking a.unG Il road. in the
ntlghlUihr"l Of Goa ord. over
which the fanuil~ .Iunlo had lust
PASSED. observed the footprints of the
hu-r animal III the mu,i. and taking
ont hi, note book. entered tl.c follow
ing memorandum of Il society item
for the journal with which he Wa,
c"nncrtrd: 1t j. understood that
Mis- t.. of ST. Louis. who eloprd a
fortnight ago. i, making Il pedestrian
tour of New HampShirr.'
Th" man that keeps Monday in
his heart and SUNDAY on Iii, shirt
front amt got my idee oh 'ligion.