The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-03-11
For the Farmer and Mocha,
M erciIeSS iShmentS.

la the Charlotte OJserrer Of Feb. 22d,
1t Is announced that 10 the criminal court,
a painter named Ed. Williams was sen
fenced to ten years hard labor in the per
itentiaTy for stealing a watch. The
Bible law in regard to case Of this kind,
required the thief to return ia money five
times the amount of the value Of the ar
ticle stolen, and if he could not pay in
money, he vas required to give Its equiv
aent in labor. Say the watch was wolth
me hundred dollars; the thiet was re-
quirea TO pay five hundred, either in
money or labor. One years labor then,
would have been an amply sufficient pun
ishment for this mans offence. y pain
ter's earnings are not great, II estimated
at five hundred dollars year. There
fore ten years labor to him, means five
thousand dollars. In other words, Ed
Williams punishment Is just ten times
heavier than 1t ought to have been. i
Is an outrage which all good men ought
to cry out against TO say nothing, IN a
case like this is to partake OF the slu OF
monstrous oppression The poor painter
will endure nine long ears OF undeseryed
punishment.
A few wears ago | heard Of a still har-
der case. \ poor ignorant negro boy,
some fourteen years OF age, was senten-
ced to the pemtentiary for three years tor
stealing a silver spoon The spoon was
probably worth three dollars and he paid
a years labor for each dollar
And yet crime in high places goes un
punished to such a denee, that 10 some
sections of the country, lynch law is be-
coming the rule, and not the exception.
There IS q point where human endurance
OF wrong must cease.
copy the following from the CeHtpY,-
During the past year the telegraph has
reported between fifteen hundred and sew
enteen murders in the Il. ). Over
against these fifteen hundred murders,
we have the report of barely ninety three
I legal executions The same year hat Wit
messed ninety three ie gal executions, Wit
messed one hundred and eighteen lynch-
/ ings: the lawiess executions outnumber
/ ing the lawful ones by twenty five per
cent. Nod the same indifference 10 law
prevails elsewhere. \ friend related to me
| the following circumstances: "A whole
sale merchant OF Charlotte sold a quantity
/ of goods to the retail dealers CT a neigh
/ boring town As the money on the goods
/ fell due, he employed lawyer to collect
! it for him. After the collections had al
| been made, the merchant went over to
this neighboring town to receive hi
money. He could not get it. He found
| he would have to sue his agent. He Went
to another lawyer of the same town, and
asked him 30 take the case tor him No,
he could not take case against Mr.. ---,
a brother lawyer He went to another
l., Il, ,.ol,,,1t J..
lawyer In that town would take his case
The court was sitting, and IN his despair.
ne went privately to the Judge and askec
him what he should do. The Judge re
piled, The law allows man to plead hi;
own case. | advise you to do that.
He was prompt and energetic, acted on
the Judges advice and got his money
Had this merchant been an ordinary
man he would probably have never ro
ceived his money. This case would have
been like that of thousands OF those Wit
do lose their money.
The man who deprives another Of
watch worth one hundred dollars gives tel
years labor IN return: while the man VIII,
9eprives another OF ten thousand dollars
often goes scottree and !lyes upon tn
other mans money.
Herbert Spencer gives Us 4 81 lenild ar
ticle upon the sins of Legislators. Let
greater man than he say something abou
the sins Of lawyers. They are the custo
! dams. the exponents OF the law. Ia
they tell us why the weak and helpes
are 50 heavily punished, while the stron
iusolently defy the rights Of other men
Volumes might be filed with simila
instances to those which | have related
; Dickens speaks OF certain Ensli>
court where monicd Might wearies OF
The Right, and says there is not an hol
orable man among its practitioners wh
+ would not give-who does not often civ
= the warning, "Suffer any wrong th;
can be done you, rather than come here.
2 CRITIC.