The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-03-31

ated without serious protest In Chicago and
st. Louis, and In some other Western cities
there has long been danger of an outbreak
of this sort. The peril was that 1t might
come in the shape of mob of the criminal
classes TO prevent the enforcement of Just
law. 1t happens to have come in this in
stance In the guisa of demonstration
against the criminal class; but to anyone
who reflects upon the real condition of
things this must appear to be largely an ac-
cident rather than necessity. 1t happened
to be case where 1t was easy 10 stir up feel
ing against certain criminal Murderers
are seldom popular, and when murders have
become frequent and everybody begins to
feel personally unsafe, it is not uncommon
for the most bar5arous communities to make
an example of some one probably not worse
than numbers who join the mob 10 execute
summary vengence.
The pertinent question is, What causes
sacial condition in which murders become
frequent and their punishment difficult in a
city like Cincinnati? There is no reason 10
suppose that murders In Cincinnati are more
frequent in proportion to other crimes than
elsewhere. For long time the governme Mt
of the city has been in the interest Of the
criminals and the criminal makers. The
liquor-selling interest, marshalling TO the
polls in Its defence and support every class
of criminals, his been dominant there. The
city administration has been notoriouslv
corrupt; venality has characterized the cleo
tions. The ambitious politicians of both
parties have bid against each other for the
support of the profigate and the degraded,
and the vices which undermine private
character and public virtue have been ig-
nored and tolerated until the sanctions and
penalties of the, law ceased to have their
normal influence. They were openly de-
rided. The rum-power and its criminal
allies elected the judges and the prosecuting
officers, and the possibility of corrupting the
bjury was calculated upon by the criminal
classes if they were brought to trial, Gin
einnati is not the only city where similar
conditions exist.
1t is where such conditions exist that any
untoward event exciting the MUD OF the
| populace is liable to produce a riot. nobody
having any confidence in the efficiency of
the regular processes of reform. When
once rioting and lawless violence begin in
such community the very persons against
whose practices it is aimed are quite likely
to become its leaders. When the public
sentiment against rascals becomes violent.
the only safety of the rascals is to join the
mob. In this case it is reported that the
public meeting was called by reputable citi-
zens. but when it met they quickly diseov-
cred that they could not control the passions
of the mob, and they brought the meeting
| to an end. But it was too late. Already
| the attack on the Jail had begun. From
Friday evening until now Cincinnati has
been In the possession of mob. against
which its police force and the States militia
have been unable to prevail. Unless force
or reason comes TO the rescue it cannot be
conceived what horrors may result Long
before this the order-loving citizens have
realized he truth Of the following brief
paragraph of warning In the Commercial
Gazette of Thursday morning:
1t is good deal easier to disturb the public peace
than to reform abuse 1t is the latter task with
respect to the administration of criminal law, to
which the people of Hamilton County should adj
| dtess themselves.
According to the latest reports received it
is probable that more than hundred have
been killed or wounded; but it is doubtful if
real reform has been advanced a step. This
is the monstrous penalty the city pays for
suffering crime and corruption to obtain an
advantage over morality and honor In the
conduct of lis affairs. Indeed this is but a
part of the penalty. The loss of property,
the loss of business, and the evil fame, can
not now be estimated accurately.