San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-12-31
The Use Of Public opinion.

]
| Robert Hail
This woiohtr on.o.,,o :. u.o.u-
'a''oi 10 H'eIalIy
true' "here the tribunal OF public opin-
| lon Is at once Independent and incor-
! ruut. and prenared tn dacida tho csusos
bro,,o,h, haro :. t.,
Ue " WAN fearless Impair
'iailty' without such tribunal OF pub
lie opinion TO act as a court OF last re-
sort hetweep tho onnrossor and hi. ,io
,i,.
"eeh JUSTICE anu inJustlce-oe-
tween virtue and vice-Lhe "Ordeal of in
| quiry and the shock IF discussionn are
Of no practic Il benefit-indeed. are abb
sOlute mOckeries, Public opinion ia of
inestimable value. Not unfreouently II
| is the only tribunal ADEQUATE TO the pun-
ishment Of fragrant MOI, Al turpitude and
of vices most hurtful to the weIl-beinp
of society; and it Is the stronghold Of
the weak, the poor and the friendless.
But, recently, a vicious sort Of publIc
| opinion has grown amongst us, which ia
neither independent nor impartiaI
neither loyal TO the immutable prinoi,
pies of Justice nor free from prejudice
and subseryiency. This yitiated public
opinion Is a public misfortune. and its
fruits can be evil, and only evil. Let
me Illustrate my meaning. Political
craftsmanship, which is really only an
other name for political subserviency,
has perverted and corrupted public
opinion to an alarming extent,
There is democratic public opinion,
which has abdicated the functions of a
Judge and put on the garments of the
partizan and the advocate, and holds
Itself bound to approve blindlv all the
men and measures of the democratic
party and to condemn its opponents.
There is also a republican public opin-
ion that is as partizan as is that OF the
democratic party. Then there Is a pub.
lie opinion, which is the partizsn and
champion of the widest social and po-
lilical innovations ever conceived BY
crack-brained Missionaries. Fnen there
is public opinion that champions
everything that is antagonistic to re-
ligion, or the cart of the pulpit. as it ia
sometimes derisiyely designated, and
omits no opportunity of prOnapatinp its
creed Of cold negation and presumptious
sceptism
Then comes the public opinion OF the
straight-laced puritans-the phrarisus of
the Christian churches, who are mostly
strainsers at gnats and swallOwers of
camels, which condemns everything
that fails to conform to the puritanical
standard of morality and exalts exter-
nal morality and orthodoxy OF creed
high above the real spirit and esspence
of the gospel-gentl. ness, beneyoience,
kindness and charity. This public
opinion paints religion in the most I'M
lovely colors, and affronts all that re-
fuse to accept its Examinations as the
oracles of God. Each sect, faction and
class has 1t public opinion, wearing its
livery and defending its utterances and
doings.
These petty tribunals of public opin-
ion are partial and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ant and prosecuting.
What is meant by the phraze public
opinion, is the embodiment of the good
sense, humanity and love of Justice of
the public at large, IS contra-disrin-
guished from the opinion of sect In re-
ligiOn, or of a faction In politics, or
class in the community.
perceive from the papers that dur
ing the past year, Governor Ireland par
doned 45OpersOns who had been regular
ly tried and convicted of crimes, and l
venture to predict that each and all of
his partizans will defend his very liberal
use of the pardoning power. Had he
pardOned double the number his par
tizans would have been ready to defend
his course and to blacken such as pre-
sumed TO disapprOVe his course. This
illustrates what was said as to the de-
plOrable lack ola fearless and impartial
public opinion to serve as court of last
resort In cases not cOgnizsble under the
statutes by the ordinary judicial tri-
bunals.
The acts of Governor Ireland are not
right merely because they happen to be
his acts. That Is the ground on which
his partiZans proceed, but it is unten-
able. though it savors of the extreme of
obsequiousness. A governor of state
represents the Dody of the people, and
Is the cOnservatOr Of the pubic welfare;
consequently undue clemency may para
lyze the majesty of the law and multi
ply crimes. The greater the chances of
escape from condign punishment
are. the stronger is the temp
tation to commit crime. This is
truism. Now, the four hundred and
fifty cOnvicts pardoned by Gov. Ireland,
all had open and tair trials and were
convicted by juries after hearing all the
evidence. Probably half the cases were
reviewed and approved BY the court of
appeals. Were they convicted contrary
TO law? Juries are not apt to go to that
extreme. If they we're legally con-
victed by juTies and courts, upon what
ground they were pardoned, becomes q
crucial question. Except on the dis
covery of new evidence, or proof that
witness swore falsely, executive Glenn
ency ought never TO be extended to con-
victs. Why? Because 1t is as to such
parties, notification Of the criminal
statute, under the terms of which they
were arraigned, tried and convicted,