The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-28
LAW AND LAWLESSNESS,

A public meeting has been called in Gin
cinnati for tonight to assemble in Music
Hall, to protest against the recent outrageous
verdict in the Berner murder case, to which
the Journal has already several times alluded.
The call for this meeting is signed by large
number of the most prominent and influential
citizens. One effect of this preposterous YER
dict was the immediate withdrawal of his plea
of guilty by another of the twenty-five MUIR
derers now in the Cincinnati jail, the man pre-
ferring to take his chances with a jury rather
than with the court under his first plea of con-
fession. Berner had made at least six con-
fessions of his guilt; the crime in which he
was participant was cold blooded, utterly
without provocation, committed solely for the
purpose of robbery, and in the profit Berner
participated. Yet, under the forms of law, bv
the efforts of Criminal lawyer" this self
confessed murderer received verdict of man.
slaughter, and his life, forfeit by any fair in
depreciation of law, is saved, and he is left to
be standing mockery of justice. Now, the
Gable criminal lawyer" who bent his efforts
to this result, who tortured the forms of the
law, and pleaded with weak-minded
jury, not for justice but for injustice, violated
his OATH and brought contempt upon the pro-
fession of which he is member One of the
cures for the existing laxity in the administra-
ton of law is a sentiment in the legal profess
sion which will rate these kind of lawyers
at the proper estimate; which will ostracize
them, if they cannot be disbarred from prac-
tice; which will set up some other gauge for
professional success than the acquittal of a
client known to be guilty, or the securing of
an inadequate punishment for a notorious and
needed for the honorable members of the pro-
fession but as law is for the lawless members
of society, so ethics, whether written or
unwritten, are for those who will not be held
to just and righteous conduct otherwise It
is an anomalous condition of things when the
body of the people-who have ordained law
provided machinery for its administration and
enforcement, paid the expenses of agents who
have accepted the trust, and who then repose
in the belief that what they have
constituted will answer the purpose
of its being-are compelled to acknowledge
the failure of it all, and driven to meet in
their primary capacity to consult as to what
may be done to either overthrow existing
methods or to reform or energize them. Yet
such is the tendency of human nature; and
what is to be done in Cincinnati must be and
will be done elsewhere 1t is only in times
when public opinion is fused with prevalent
spirit that right is done easily, and wrong re-
buked signally and with equipollent justice
There was such time during the days of the
war. Succeeding that, conscience gradually
grew less sensitive; unrighteousness steadily
grew more defiant and powerful; wckedness
in high places and apathy among the people
became the rule. The cause of this decleh.
sion any one can see who studies the course of
events, and just so surely can any one see that
the highest-or the lowest-point has been
reached, and that the reaction has set in,
which will speedily inspire the agencies
through which these powerful determining
Inducements express themselves. He does
not read the signs of the times Alright who
does not see that the reign of law is to be more
decided than it has been, and that the face of
the people is being set as flint against law
lessness of all kinds