The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-08-16

soitot fu ftnAhofe- SoH.
 
 New Crims Under the Sun.
 Btn We. in New yosk Mereusy.l
 Many yeAry ago. in the cary history of Wisconsin, when the country vas new and the administration of justice had no. attained the degree of velocity and ac- curacy which characterises the present day, Elias Palmer, of Folk county, was arrested, taken before . magistrate, and after tedious preliminary examination lasting for two days, he vas bound over in large sum to await the action of the grand jury al the approaching term of court. and failing to secure the bail. was committed on a criminal chasge of chastity.
 Those vho may be at all curious upon this matter may procure the full details of this memorable examination by con- sulting the court fiaes ;n the case oi the State of Wisconsin VI. Elias Palmer. nov in the office of the clerk of the circuit court al OsceolA. The proceedings in the case show that. although Mfr. Palmer was accused Of the grave charge of chastity in his preliminary examination, upon further testimony before the grand jury the charge was not sustained. He nov points with pride 10 the fact that upon a thorough investigation he was entirely exonerated, and whatever other crime he may have been guilty ot, chastity was not one of them.
 Reviewing the case ia . cool and dis passionate manner, we are led to inquire whether the learned counsel who drew the complaint and had the defendant arranged before the court, as he called it, knew what chastity implied or not. Would he have been able to diagnose anything of that kind il he had met 1t on the road. Did he not labor under a misarprehensaon as to the meaning ot the term! Certainly it would appear 90 from the testimony, which went to show that If Mir. Palmer had violated the criminal statutes of the Commonwealth of Wisconsin, it had not besu through abnormal and notorious chastity. lt would therefore be more charitable to look upon the entire proceedings as an erroneous diagnosis of the case rather than an attempt to make chastity odiou..
 This IS, we must admit. the more oom- l foriing conclusion al which to arrive, for where 1t otherwise how iew of U. woa:., be safe :! II chastity were to become a subject for adverse criticism and even criminal prosecution, 1t would be ex- sresnely annoying and inconvenieut. Certainly no man wishes to be considered eccentric, to say nothing sf being an kopen violator of the law, and know tha, thousands will unile with me in heavins sighs of relief throughout our broad and beautiful land upon learning that this effort to mako chastity unpopular has failed utterly and hopsiess,y.
 l We can BOW return to our vasiOus avocatioas tn life, teslisg tAat the law and the courts will protect us. Howsver up night asd morally psspendicular ve may world, ws will not bs ssgarAsd with sus. picioa by an eagie-eysd psb6c. regard t as great social victory. It opens ur . way for mankind by which 10 travel not oaly without tear o( ihs law, bu, actually protected by oar sesausss. A man in Wisconsin to-day nay be a chasse as he has . mind to aad seill eyade the law. He may tosm tkis habil in youth and become moro szd moro ad- dicted to it in later yesy Nieh tho utmosl ;snpunity. He nay cassy is to such sx- cess as to become almosf . sndicnI ed an extremist upon this subject, asd yel o much has public opision changed since the arrest of Mir. Palmer thaa b. lieve were a man to bs caught is ths vesy acf, convicted and 6ssd tos chastity in Polk county to-day, the people would club together and pay his fns.
 
 Story of . Judge.
 American Journalist.
 While attending the Missouri Pres association meeting recently held q Springfield, mss Frank r. Blair, IT,, and he told me the following vszy good story which is worth repssting: On ose O. tkl many official excnrsions made by boat to FortIess Monroe and Chesaoeake Bay | Chief Iustice Waita. of the snpe6n,a couyt