The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1884-05-15

Samuel r. Reed the most promi-

Samuel r. Reed the most promi-
nent editorial writer of the Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette, has come at
Judge Welsh, Of Athens, in several
of his articles. We take the follow
ing from one Of his articles:
More than half your time on the
tench was spent in trying exceptions
to overthrow just verdicts of juries
whom the law makes final judges of
guilt. A code framed as if to multi
ply forms, and to make each one fa-
tai, has been >welled by judicial decis-
ions finding flaws to defeat justice.
Decisions against exceptions, alike
with decisions sustaining them, amaze
the mind at the code under which
such errors could be alleged, and at
the Supreme Court which could en-
tertain them.
The code is thickly strewn with
judicial decisions on attenuated tech
nical points, testifying to the encour-
agement which the Supreme Court
gives to those who make a trade of
saving the guilty from the law. The
record of decisions on exceptions in
trials for crime, invites the criminal
to come there on any trivial pretense,
while sentence is suspended to await
the blind chances. The verdict of a
jury on the justice of the case is only
a step to an appeal to a supreme
bench which puts by the justice Of
the case, and looks solely for flaw
in proceedings to overthrow it.
A criminal code Of infinite techni-
calities, administered by Supreme
Court which has nose only for the
forms that defeat justice, stands over
the trial court with unnumbered OBJ
structions to protract trials and turn
verdicts to nought. Heinous murderers
are made heroes, and their safety the
laws sole object. Murderers and bur-
glars walk the streets. holding neigh
borhoods in terror, because the law is
strangled in its own convolutions.
Fiendish crimes are perpetrated, excit-
ing neighborhoods or the whole city
to demand justice, but justice is de-
ferred to the indefinite future and has
ceased to be expected.
Public opinion has lost respect for
the administration Of law. At length
minor incident, not so fragrant as
many others, brought about by acci-
dent disorderly attempt, easily amen
able to firm police authority, but
swelled by riot alarm and crowd
into fright, with the horrible result
of more than two hundred citizens
killed and wounded. After more
than a fortnight Of deliberation, you,
Supreme Court Judge for sixteen
years, have volunteered the counsels
Of your experience on the causes and
the remedy. And your remedy is to
ignore crime, to ignore the failure of
the law, and to have free blood-let-
ting of the people, if not content with
this lawlessness.
You have surprised the public that
one who gives this measure Of his ju-
dicial mind has been on the Supreme
Bench. You are content that the
code and judiciary have strangled the
law, and you see nothing wanting but
to strangle the Commercial Gazette,
so that it shall not mention the COM
mission Of crimes nor the failure Of
justice; as if the peoples respect for
judicial administration, which is un-
worthy Of respect, ought to be main
tanned, or as if it could be maintained
by sticking heads in the sand. The
voidness of all judicious perception in
your letter is criterion for judging
the work you have done in sixteen
years in piling up a Judiciary struct-
ure to make the administration of law
difficult. and your temper confesses
that you have taken as personal re-
fections on you the remarks on the
effect of such judicial bubbles in de-
feating justice and destroying respect
for lou,