The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-09-18

for the suppression and punishment Of
wrong-doing. Laws have been added
to laws, aud the jurisdiction of courts
enlarged to reach different classes of |
offenders. and it might be supposed
that the securement of justice and the |
provisions for the protection of life
and property were full and complete |
Notwithstanding all the statutory en- |
actments for the suppression of crime
murderers go UNPUBLISHED, and the
number of law-breakers who are Jar
rested are insignificant compared with
those who evade the penalty OF theI
law and escape. The remark has been |
made, that there is less probability of
punishment for taking the life Of a
human being than for stealing horse.
When a horse is stolen the whole
neighborhood Is in connection, detec-
tives are put on the track, and il tie
thief is caught he is in danger of being
summarily lynched. According to the
statistics collected by the Baltimore
Sat1a, out of 3,377 murders committed
last year in the United States, the per-
petrators were punished with death in
only 313 cases, and 2l0 of these perish
ed by lynch law. Only one murderer
in thirty-three, therefore, is hung acc
cording to law in this great country,
and one in about fifteen by irregular
methods. Ten out of eleven escape
the gallows altogether. The DISPOSE
ton of the people to take The law out
of the courts into their own hands
comes from the fact that no reliance
can be placed OH courts and juries, as
they are now constituted, to punish
criminals.
When trial by jury was FIRST estab-
lished in England it was regarded
great triumph for the rights of the
people. So juries served valuable
purpose i'll this scountry for many
years, but now seem to survive their
usefulness. They are unreliable as
tribunals !of Uustice, easily tempered.
with, and too often their judgements
can be moulded by INSCRIPTIONS law
yers. No criminal now is satisfied to
trust his case to the courts, to be de-
cided according to the strict construc-
ton of law, but looks to the jury for
favor. Law and evidence cannot
now be relied upon to secure rights in
the courts, especially in criminal cases.
The adrOltness and skill of the lawyers
is more depended upon to extricate a
criminal from the laws penalties than
the generality of witnesses. There
are those in the legal profession who
have a wide reputation as criminal
lawyers; that is, they are experts in
securing the clearance Of the vilest of
offenders. They are ingenious in
rendering convicting evidence of no
avail. by interposing objections and
technical bubbles. How often is the
remark heard, If Mr.. A had obtained
a good lawyer. he would have won
his case" The reason for his losing
his case was not for the want of good
witnesses, but for the want of an ex-
pert lawyer. This is no unreal state.
ment, for how common is it when two
men go to laws to make the inquiry,
who are their lawyers?" That fact
being given, there is guessing which
will win. 1t is not unlike game of
checkers or whist. the best PLAYER
comes out best. To say that common
usage justifies member of the bar 10
espouse a bad cause for fee does not
make it right. There has recently
been case in point in Chicago. One
of the most brilliant lawyers and
public speakers in that city, and who
has been in much demand to address
public assemblies on great occasions,
has undertaken for criminal who by
general verdict of the people of Chica-
go is an unmitigated scoundrel. Such
action is calculated to lower the pro.
fession in the public estimation.