Weston weekly leader. [volume] (Weston, Umatilla County, Or.) 1878-189?, 1885-03-20
Pardoninz and Cendoning Crime.

extent is too obvious to call for state
ment. The workings of our present
form of criminal jury system, which
has grown too cid for the needs of our
modern civilization; the ignorance of
the ordinary juror of his duties, and
his general sympathy with the culprit,
which is SO subtly made available by
the efforts of the hired advocate; the
often too freely used license of the pull
lie prosecution in withdrawing we'll
grounded charges of crime, II u great
number of cases open to the suggestion
of completely and arrangements for a
consideration-to these may be added
the weil-known marketable character Of
the detective system all over the land,
and the readiness of those suffering
from criminal practices to compromise
and csndone the crime for a money
equivalent, or from an unwlllingness to
assume the burden and doubts attend
ing prosecution.
These, and other causes, go far to-
wards the cr;ppllng OF all justice, the
beggaring and lowering of the value OF
honesty, and literally offering a pre-
mi"in for crime. In many of the older
nations, where representative govern
nlent is not 50 pronounced in theory or
practice, the judiciaa1ctions of courts
OF law are much less open to the bane-
full influences, which with US lead to
immunity for the wealthy and infuen-
tial criminal, as compared to that of
the poor, and which gives credence
to the theorem that an empty pocket is
the objectionable crime. In the civil
lied nations of Europe the public pros
ecutors dare not dismiss cases nor will
the sufferer from crime be permitted to
compromise with the criminal or his
agent. Many cases might be cited
where even nobility itself have
had to suffer the extreme penalty for
their nisdeeds against society, equally
with the poor. This would go to show
that i'll those countries law is less a re.
spector Of persons than with US. Ger.
tainly there seems no good reason why
such disparity should obtain TO our dis.
advantage.
Our legal fraternity should be equa
in ability and should be held to as higl
moral responsibility as those of any
other land. Our judicial minds hav.
: certainly reached an eleyated plane il
the science Of not only State but nation
!, al and international jurisprudence
: But 1t would appear that with us Law
e and its practice have become too mucl
the seicnce of GLORIOUS uncertainty
{ loaded down with technicality, an
K handicapped too often with considera
/. tions political and personal, whic
}. greatly need the publication Of NOR
wholesome atmosphere, and genera
). simpllfication OF process. AS peopl
! we are justly noted for our facility {
II lnvention in all things practical and i
$ the invention of pleas to uullify Law
we most emphaticaily lead the worl,
In our legal practice we have all til
Ct phases of insanity, hereditary, tempo
l. ary, circunistantial, emotional an
/" moral, brought as barriers to the ju
s. punishment of crime, and to the relea
Ing OF its perpetrators unpublished upe
I'd society. Every one is said to be il
lie sane upon some point, and on the san
G. grounds all crime may be SUMMARY,
d. as some phase of insanity, and the wor
,d one great nladheuse. Nevertheless,
self preservation is acknowledged a as Il
%. first law of nature, aud the second la
he by natural sequence, the preservati'
,es of society which is its civilized conce
iv tration, it would seem most fit a
,Ie worthy that the surplus acumen OF 0
AN great legal lntellects should be turn
he to account in the invention and dev
opment of means, whereby all |;
h. should be simplifed both in theory a
practice, SO that the most humble ME
7 Der of the commonalty coald comp,
49, hend its bearings upon himself. II
must necessarily be the primary obj
:. of TIE divine law, of which it is cur :,
|. human boast that human law is an ell,
Grafton. AS it really appears on
record from the case of "Jarndyce
,Jarndyce," to the latest complaint
fore the smallest Justice Court, it
labyrinth of hazy mysteries and ent
gied sinuosities, that lead. not to justi
' but to juggling. Law should knit
-, ciety by its simplicity and not tend
~ disintesrate it By its ponderous 1
forbidd,ng uncertainty.
The almost iucessant accumulation
mathods whereby costs may be add
often becoming much greater than
ihd original cause, is phase of affairs t
"a should be rurged from all honest C
10" practice. In criminal cases, the
uo doning power in the hands OF any
man, and he political asplrapt, {
'oer not be considered other than a dan,
= u Gus indulgence, very often leadin
most questionable results and to
utter perversion of mercy.
' The Executive Of a State may be {
so sincere and honest in his purp
He may also he fully alive to the b
and and far-reaching nature OF the powe
tion clemency entrusted to him, and earn
of ly watcl,ful Of its use. Still. from
cifc very nature of his position aud the I
lie OF siplicity of his duties, he is too aI
ap- be made the vehicle for carrying
.ons the selfish and sinister designs o
re- personal ard political surroundings
lade Every member of the human fal
few owes sacred duty to that family,