The Press., 1888-05-10

preponderence of numbers and that is in the church. At least she should there stand a recognized equal of man
 THE report of the Connecticut board of agriculture is out, and by courtesy of Score tary Gold we have copy of this document, one of the most valuable public reports put out by this state or by any state, and Secre- tary Gold is almost an exception among the officials of this state in his courtesy in remem- bering the newspapers in his distribution of this document. And this suggests the idea that it would be good thing if our state comptroller realized that public docu- ments are very useful in a newspaper office, and in no place better fulfill the object of their publication.
 . THE high license laws of New Jersey and number of saloons, preventing disreputable persons from getting license, and enforcing proper regard for the Sabbath. Temperance people are rejoicing over the first fruits of the new law, which in fact seems to please ev- erybody save the peculiar class who oppose every restriction to the rum traffic short of absolute prohibition, and who will not see in each increase of restraint upon the traffic a step toward it's extinction. It is as if one re fused to put foot upon the round of lad der because he could not take a single stride to the top. There are communities and states where prohibition is impracticable and inn possible until the people are so educated that the majority desire it. The process of educa- tion is going on. .a..r.~-.-5.
 THERE is some criticism of the agreement between counsel and court by which Hodel was permitted to escape hanging. It should be considered that by this means the state escaped long and expensive trial. Expert evidence in cases of claimed insanity is very expensive, and the state has to pay for as many witnesses as the defense deems neces- sary, besides paying it's own expert contro- verting witnesses. And the result of such 8 trial is generally more than likely to be dis agreement, or else 8 compromise verdict With the prevailing prejudice against capital punishment and the natural reluctance of any juror to doom man to death who may be mentally irresponsible, the chances are strong ly against securing full conviction of mur- derer in a case like that of Hodel. We con- sider that the court and state counsel acted wisely in accepting the plea offered And yet something should be done to discourage the prevalence of murderous insanity, which is getting to be so convenient cloak for crime. The majority of common sense peo- pie think Hodel should have been hung, but a single sympathetic juryman could have prevented that if he had been tried for his life, and experience shows that the juryman would probably have been there, perhaps more than one of him.
 DIXIE R. CowrE, uncle of Lillian Hoyle, who was murdered at Webster, Mass !, in De- cember, and who has been under suspicion of being accessory to the murder, has been arrested at Meriden, also a Webster liquor seller named McQuade, who Is said to be the principal in the crime. The object of the murder is supposed to have been the conceal ment of criminal relations. Both McQuade and Cowie have claimed to be able to prove alibis, but the confession of Alice Hoyle, the murdered girls sister, has spoiled their story. Alice had claimed that her sister was with her on the night of the murder until 1915, and the two suspected men had been able to. account for every moment of their time after that hour. Now, disappointed in McQuade's failure to keep promise to marry her, Alice confesses, duplicating herself, and telling that the girl was drugged and removed from her room between 9 and 10 o'clock It was 8 foul murder, and appears to have been done by Cowie, who was hired by McQuade, who had betrayed the girl. The crime and it's concealment was well planned, but Mo Quade's bad faith to the murdered girls sister has brought about its unveiling.
 Mir. Editor A paragraph is going the rounds that the confederate general Joseph B. Johnson had joined or been elected contributing member of Gen. B. B. Baker Post, G. A. R., Philadelphia, amid great applause. Any one conversant with the principles of the order would know that if so it was contrary to them, and that there is nothing in the rules and regulations of the order that can be construed to warrant any such action by Gen.rE. B. Baker Post, or any other. The Rockville Leader tel egraphed to the post, "Is 1t true that Gen. Johnson, confederate, has been admitted to your post ?' The post commander i'm mediately answered ssno.''
 Now what was the incentive to fabricate this slur on the grand army A presiden- tial campaign is being planned, and this is a little scheme to smirch the loyalty of those who compose that organization and those who are eligible.
 Let all old soldiers scan well the records of all candidates for their votes and see to 1t that there is no taint of disloyalty on them A COMRADE.