The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-04-16

USING LAW TO DO WRONG.-Therc ia
sheriff at Connellsville, Pa, who is likely to
have Il life tenure of the Office if he wishes
Or to rise higher. provided in other respects
his conduct meets public approval as much
rs his refusal to evict the families of striking
coke-workers in this terrible weather. The
hcartless companies apparently reasoned
that the more terrible the suffering caused
by turning women aud children out iuto
the storm the more likely they would be to
break down the strike, to force the work.
men to their own terms, and to retain the
whole profits for which they are fighting
the men. For the sake of filthy lucre they
were willing to have innocent families
starved Or frozen to death. But the sher.
if. with the writs in his hands, refused to
execute them in such weather Virtually,
he says to the compares, The law shall
nor, through me, be made IN engine of OPP
preston and wrcng"' Was he not right ?
1t has become to be crying evil of our
time that men in many walks Of life are
willing TO use the tcchnicaltics of law to
commit a crime against humanity or Justice.
We see it whenever lawyers use the tricks
OF their trade to clear rich criminals. Le-
gllIy they have the right, but ought not
public opinion to have somethng TO say
about such lawyers, as well as about their
clients? The secret Of almost ucalculable
GistruSt and disaster in the financial world,
and in the corduct Of great corporations is
found in the use Of the machinery of Inv
IT, rob men Of their rights. If case for
which there is no honest lefcoce can be
kept in the courts for years by money
enough, until any clLimant who is not rich
can be worn ou, aud compelled to settle or
abandJn a lst claim, there ale lawyers to
be found who do not hesitate to rcb the poor
by this process for the benefit Of clients who
pay well, and many even call it unprofes
siOnaP to refuse fla corporation can be
So managed b. cunning devices Of law as to
plumber all who have invested their money
dbu W pluuuCI lucID iOT the DCnoUI
of a few rich sharks CT wreckcrs there arc
not wanting the rich aud grasping men to
set on foot fraud, nor the INSCRIPTIONS
lawyers to snggcs: the methods and to fight
the cases in the courts. Bat is robbery by
process of law really less criminal or less
disgraceful than any other form of rob-
berry?
Reforms that are soreiy needed in almost
every department Of social business or poll
tica' life are prevented by this same false
idea that it is permissible t. use the forms
Of law to the utmost in order to pcrpetuatc
wrong. IL is the same spirit which fills
the courts with revolving scandals over
contested wills and divorce cases. There
ought to be everywhere recognized the prin.
C pie that the use of forms of law to do a
wrong is more deadly offence against So
ciety thln the doing Of the same wrong in
disregard of law. Robbery By lawless vio-
lcnce hurts only the persons concerned
robbery by chicanery of law hurts them
ani the entire social fabric beside, the pub
ii, AID the Government. The creature
who takes the law into his own hands TO
do n wrong is criminal But the crca-
ture who sells his knowledge of the law to
defcat it's sacie ends, aud to do wrong,
is not less bat more deserving of public
condemnation. EorA Tribune.