The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-05-20
THE DARK AND BLOODY GROUND.

Commenting upon the self-murder of Judge
Reid, whose mind gave way under the strain
of social and political disgrace incident to his
Christian effort to maintain the law and his
own honor, after he had been cowhided by
attorney Corneilson, the Journal said:
Unfortunately for him and his doubly-
stricken family, Judge Reid lived in State
where it is expected of man who is assaulted,
however causelessly, to wipe out the disgrace
in blood. For years the sentiment has OBJ
tanned in Kentucky that murder must follow
personal assault, and upon the mind of this
unfortunate man this feeling must have
weighed with constantly increasing heaviness.
With heroic forbearance, Judge Reid under
took to act a nobler part and to abide by the
law rather than become a law unto himself.
But the burden was too great for him, and
with brief, incoherent message of dozen
words to those he loved, he sent bullet
through his brain and died. Had he sought
out and taken the life of his assailant he
would have been lionized, and his election
would have been sure beyond question"
Whereupon the Sentinel of this city, re
marks:
'"The above demonstrates narrow gauge
mind, mingled with dense prejudice and ig
norance We have no patience with it, and
will briefly dispose of it. The sentiment of
Kentucky was overwhelmingly with Judge
Reid, and it was only last Sunday that his
assailant (Corneilson) was expelled from the
church for personal assault, for which the
Journal claims Kentucky sentiment always
demands a murder"
Let us see for moment whether the com
ment of the journal was 'narrow-gauge,
and mingled with dense prejudice andignor-
ance." The Louisville Times, paper edited
by Kentucky born Democrat, said in dis
cussion of the whipping of Judge Reid;
"By the social code of Kentucky and the
accepted criterion on which popular judgment
here is shaped, such outrage meant death to
one or the other party. A blow
given in hasty anger, shot fired in
a sudden quarrel, wounds inflicted, life at
tempted, even hot words of contumely spoken
all these, where lasting disgrace has not
been intended or accomplished, have received
cheerful amnesty. Courage may forgive, dig
nifty may overlook them. But the touch of
the whip is and always has been an ineffacea-
BILE stigma degradation utter and unmen-
tionsble in the opinion of this people, So
Possibly the editor of the Louisville Times
KNOWS Hldl Cne SOclhl cOue OIL h6uIuChy Is
quite as well as the editor of the indianapolis
Sentinel does.
AT the funeral of Judge Reid Elder Mo
Garvey made the principal address. He said
that Judge Reid
''Was without doubt murdered; the question
was by whom. He was sorry to say it was not
his assailant alone To the humiliation un-
der which he was murdered was added the
filings from his own people, and, more than
this, the sentiment of the press. All this was
more than he could stand. He reeled and
staggered, his great mind was dethroned, and
at time when he knew not himself he fired
the fatal shot. He begged the people, and
members of the church especially, to turn
away from this sentiment and live in a higher
life"
Possibly Elder McGarvey of Mount Ster-
ling, who referred, over the remains of the
dead man, to ''the filings from his own people
and ''the sentiment of the press which had
helped to "murder" Judge Reid, knew what
he was talking about even better than does the
editor of the Indianapolis Sentinel, when he so
fippantly ''disposes" of the Journal.
The Louisville Courier Journal, in al article
upon the attack on Judge Reid, said:
1--WE tolerate murder, and pardon vice, and
honor criminals, il they are brave. Physical
prowess is the only virtue that appeals to us.
We are passionate, unreasonable, unrestrained,
lawless. Society protects no man, either by
it's recognized rules of law nor by that public
sentiment which gives strength, and force,
and vitality to all written law. Until we
change all this; until murder is punished; sun-
til we educate men to look to law for protec-
ton and vindication; until the law does what
it pretends to do what it is instituted for, we
should cease our Boosting, and no longer con
tent ourselves with traits and achievements
which equally distinguish the barbarous and
half civilized communities"
Possibly Mr.. Henry Watterson knows the
temper of the people of Kentucky very much
Sentinel
Elder A. L Hobbs, distinguished minister
of the Christian Church, in sermon delivered
in Louisville, on Sunday, upon the deplorable
affair, said:
f1n the Courier-Journal of the 10Th inst.
the able editor has given us two articles which
honor his head and heart l publicly thank
him for them, although l might modify few
expressions. The sentiments of them, how
ever must meet the cordial approval of all
right thinking people. They are under the
captions of The Death of Judge Reid and
Law and Justice
at should not be forgotten, though, that.
while Judge Reid was the victim of vitiated
public sentiment perhaps, his assailant, whose
lawless act had such terrible result, was
somewhat prepared for his unlawful deed by
the sentiment; and while he can not be ex-
cused. yet before the bar of public opinion he
might plead it in mitigation, with some show
of reason.
"'Blood guiltinessl That is fearful
charge to make upon a whole people. But
the only way to escape it as individuals is to
discharge our responsibility for the existing
vitiated public opinion, by using all our
power and influence to make all hwless VIC