The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-05-01
A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER

Cincinnati Commercial Gazette: There
are many indications that the memo
rable protest of the people of Cincin-
natl against the sovereignty of crime has
had a decisive aud far-reachIng in
fiuence.
Public opinion before the riots was 60
positive, and beginning to be so well un-
derstood, that it would have done the
things essential without blOcdshed, If a
few rash men had not dIvert6 d the poten-
tisl indignation of the people from the
proper channels.
A good zeal OF writing has been done
about the Cincinnati riots, without the
knowledge that the people were suffer
ing under grievances Of the grOssest des-
cription that criminals and their agents
were bossing the community; that Of
ficialism, draggled in the cutters of
with the worst crimes against society,
SO that ruffians were ulers.
Crime was given all the advantages in
The courts. The criminal lawyers were
the recognized court bosses. Jury-fxing
was a regular trade. Corporation as
we'll as criminal lawyers profited by 1t.
The court house was rank with iniquitY,
and the Jail sheltered swarm Of muir
derers.
The sickly sentImentali,ts and crank
phIlanthrOpists and professional defend
ers of crime for money had muddled the
laws 80 that it seemed almost hopeless TO
convict the most fragrant and devIlish
assassins. and when they were convicted
repeatedly the supreme court picked
flaws in the proceedings and prevented
the execution of the law, just as if it was
the business of learned judge 10 pre-
vent the punishment of criminals.
The people were wildly exssperated
by the Avondale murders, and there was
an obvious parallel between the burkers
and the stable boy murderers, so that
when one of the latter was on trial the
proceedings were followed with painful
intensity of interest.
There were two burksrs aud two
stable boys, and in both cases confession
was complete, aud the very fact tina,
there was not the slightest doubt Of
guilt made COMPLETION difficult. In the
case of Berner and Palmer there had to
be a severance. The same law stood fol
the burkers; and McHugb. three times
convicted, seemed to have an unfailine
resource IN the stupidity or worse of the
supreme court
In the Berner case there was markeC
with rising wrath the long familiar
scenes of such trials-the rejection o
decent citizens for jurymen; the pre-
sumptuous defense in the face of seven
T told confession; tue pTeposterous yer
dict.
But all this had happened many time
in different forms. There have beer
hundreds of trials infamous as the Der
ner case. There have bt en- hundreds O
liuries no better than the Berner jury
But the persons engaged in the trial
, among others, seemed to fail TO under
. stand that the conditions of grea
storm were around them. There hal
ben u change IN the atmosphere abou
J the courthouse, and there were person
) 30 soaked in the old foul air that the
: did not feel it.
There are still indiYiduals who al
' sume that the public indignation was q
e impertineDce; that there was u despei
2 ate mob put down with sublime heroisu
! and that all we have to do is to retur
e 70 the old ruts as soon as possible and q
D feet not to see the red stains O
! our paVements and the ruins of th
courthouse. Competent observers vi
a however, agree that there has been
II change-that g public judgment hl
u been formed that will break through q
= cordons of false Witnesses and the rinJ
" of scheming officials and inform u
Ie grand jury and the people at larg
" however considerate the coroner may
= as to the reactiOnary influences ar
n whatever may be the proportion OF pc
f. jury in the testimony taken before q
L Jury.
l. Crime no longer has corner on u
0l courts. The professional Jurors are scs
70 ter,d. The good citizens, Of whom
at much is said, take their seats as juro
:. quietly. The judges 81 EN- 10 mean bV
Id i0ess, and push thugs, even in Grimm
is cases The distinction OF belng gre
he crIminrl Is not rs sale as il was. L
ch galIows IS to be erected in the jeli-yA
nd This morning. Twenty two coEvicts q
OF TO be sent TO the peniteniiary this wee
st The security of scoGndreis Is disturb
throughout the country. There ha
Ter heen several convictions already for Cd
nd i'aI ofenses that would not have hi
M lRned If IL bad not been for the aho
he ter of disturbance.