The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-24
AN UPRIGHT JUDGE.

self in the blood of his lawless assailant, Judge
Reid, of Mt Sterling, KY, has made an az
gument that is applicable everywhere, and if
it fails to popularize him in the eyes of his
fellow citizens then is popular government in
that locality mockery and a farce. Merci-
lessly and most brutally attacked by an at
torney who held him responsible for a certain
decision adverse to his assailant, the unwritten
code of Kentucky honor demanded murder as
an atonement Of the insult. The custom has
been for men "disgraced" by being beaten by
some bully toresort to arms, and to kill or be
killed. Judge Reid confesses that his first
impulse was to follow the all too numerous
aid, and he rose above the folly of madness,
and determined to honor law and order in the
spirit of his oath of Office. Speaking of him
self, he says:
''To have taken vengeance myself would
have behed my whole life and character and
Christian profession. Most of you have known
me from childhood. l have gone in and out
among you. My character private and public,
has been before you, and open to your inspec
ton. l have been man of peace-not of
blood. | never carried weapon of any kind
in my life, not even since the trouble. l
never struck human being blow in anger,
and until this occurrence no man ever struck
me a blow. From earliest youth | have been
a member of the church, and for eight nine
years an elder and a teacher in the Christian
Church at Mount Sterling. have tried in
my way to lead Christian life; to illustrate
in my daily walk and conversation the teach
ings and spirit Of the Master whose servant
hope | am; | have endeavored to be true and
loyal to the Bible-the great chart of human
duty. | remembered it taught, Thou shalt
not kill! 'Avenge not yourselvesp Ven
geance is mine saith the Lord, | will repay
And so / could not, without casting to the
winds my past life and all my past professions,
without dishonoring or destroying my Chris
tan manhood and overturning the foundations
of my Christian character, attempt to shed the
blood of fellow man."
There is dignity in these utterances that
must commend them to all honorable men,
and they ought to and will win for Judge
Reid the heartiest approval of good people
everywhere. 1t is to be hoped that their
worth will not be lost on his constitu-
ents, and that they will continue in
sympathy as they have begun. But whether
they do or not, the effect will not be wholly
lost. The people Of Kentucky are rising to
higher ground. The pistol, whip and cane
are not longer universally recognized as gen.
teel means of refuting argument and express
ing disapproval Of courts. There has been
and there still is too much of that spirit of
lawlessness that honors the man quick on
the trigger, but it cannot hold out against
more civilized and more refined sentiment,
Judge Reid placed just estimate on the
situation, and on the great necessity of respect
for the law, when he said:
"There is a spirit of lawlessness abroad in
the land. Mobs rise upin blind fury and
burn cou1t-houses and deluge the streets
with innocent blood. Criminals escape pun
ishment, and the laws are laxly administered.
There is deep disrespect-nay, almost a
contemplation law and for those who execute
or expound it. Courts are lightly esteemed
and their decisions set at naught. The sane
tity that invested the judge has been for
gotten, and the throne on which he sits has
been assailed. In the State of Kentucky the
same decentralization prevails Murder is ram
pant, assaults are frequent and go unpublished
Society, whose fabric rests on law and the
respect for its enforcement, is upheaved to its
very crust Barely three years ago a thrill of
horror filled Kentucky and the civilized world
when John NJ Elliott, a judge of the highest
court was shot down in cold blood without
warning, in the streets of the capital for rem
ering a decision that did notsuit the murderer
and he to-day walks free in the land.
1t is a singular misfortune that
suffer to-day in my own person an outrage
equaling, if not transcending, the enormity of
Bufords, who shot his victim in the street, in
the open day, with weapon unconcealed.
What is to be the end of all thiss Do we live
in the dark and barbarous times when every
man was his own avenger and took the law
into his own hands; or do we live in an era of
Christian civilization, where the rights of the
citizens are defined and should be respected
Is there no way to check the black tide, to
avert the storm to turn back the thoughts of
men to the sacredness of the law, and make
them listen to its voice. which is the voice of
Gods Is this to be the era of lawlessnessY
Shall shotguns, and pistols, and knives rule
the hour, and men be swift to revenge their
own wrongs without an appeal to the organ
lied tribunals where justice is melted out"
The people of Mt. Sterling, and Of Kentucky
as a State, now have an opportunity to stand
out unqualifedly ON the side of law and order
Justice demands, and the welfare Of the State
demands, that Judge Reid receive the hearth
est Endorsement. Instead of his peaceful sub
mission to the law working his political death,
it ought to secure his promptest promotion.
There are too few Judge Reds in Kentucky
too few in the nation. Society needs more of
them, as neighbors, as citizens, and as admin
istrators Of law.
-. -.
SHREwDNEss and trickery are recognized