The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1889-02-07
Lawiessness and Where the Re-
sponsibility Lies.

and never before in the history Of the
state, has human life been so cheap
or the taking of itso unlikely to be fol
lowed Ivy serious consequences to the
murderer. If any one doubts these
statements, let him, before he charges
this paper with uttering that which is
untrue, count up the murders and as
sassinations which have occurred on
Mississippi soil within the last few
wears, and then let him see how few
of the guilty ones have met their just
reward. 1t has come to he believed by
the great body of the people that if q
man have money and influential
friends, he may Stay whom he choose
and under what circumstances he
likes, and he is in less danger of hav-
ing Justice melted out to him than the
insignificant criminal who steals "a
yearling or shoat.
These things ought not to be, but
they are, and we have recited them
here rather for the purpose of point
ing out the causes for their existence
than to dwell upon the awful fact
itself.
First, we want to say: much of the
trouble lies in our jury system. Very
little blame attaches to the judiciary.
Here and there perhaps judge has
been recreant to his duty and dis
graced the ermine by leaning to the
side of criminals, but as II whole, Mis-
rissippi's judiciary is above reproach
both as to ability and integrity. The
weakness of our courts lies chiefly in
the ignorance, corruption and unfit
ness of jurors. A lawyer with bad
case on his hands always wants the
county raked with finetoOth comb
for the most ignorant jury to be found,
and if it is ignorant and corrupt too, so
much the better. Too often Boards of
Supervisors conspire against justice i'll
the selection of jurors, and in such
instances, criminals find iuries friend
" to their interests ready to hand.
4 second, and by far the most po-
tent. cause of the contempt for law
which we have described, is the abuse
of the pardoning power. After the
most blood curdlfng murder has been
committed and the murderer, in spite
of the laws delay, a faulty jury sys-
TEN and sharp, unscrupulous lawyers,
money and influential friends, has ut
last been convicted and sentenced to
hang-all at great expense of money
to the tax-payers,-in steps the
Governor and commutes his sentence
to imprisonment in the penitentiary
for life, and shortly after that follows
with full pardon, thus bringing the
law and courts into contempt. Pun
ishment for many minor crimes is es-
capped by the same means, and so fol-
lows the terrible decentralization
which disgraces our State.
But we would not be understood as
laying all the responsibility for this
abuse of the pardoning power upon
the Governor. Often no sooner has il
criminal been convicted than good,
law abiding citizens. many of whom
it may be clamored for intlicting the
extreme penalty of the law upon the
offender until he was sentenced, turn
about and besiege the Governor for a
pardon or communication of sentence, as
the case may be. Outrageous as has
been the abuse of the pardOning
power, it is safe to say the Gov
ernor has never yet pardOned or
committed the sentence of Grim
inal where he was not strong
~ petitioned to do so, by men of high
standing, and often by ye preacher
of the gospel and other model citi-
zens. In fact, some very sensible peo-
pie seem to think the most effective
way of impressing upon the criminal
classes the terror of the law is to rush
to the Governor with a petition to
set aside its penalty.
The State needs Governor who duly
appreciates the great responsibility OF
his position and who will not be swerv-
ed from the path of duty and JUS
tice by any such appeals, but it also
needs sober minded citizenship that
appreciates its own responsibility
and will not throw its influence on
the side of criminals, and thus furn-
ish the Governor n plausible excuse
for defeating the ends of justice
Until public sentiment is properly
vertebrated on this subject, better
juries provided and fewer pardons
granted, crime will continue to run
rampant in Mississippi and Judge
Lynch will finally unsurp the func-
tons of all the regular tribunals.
A few short years ago the Sword and
Shield, the Vieksburg Post, the New
Mississippian and the LEADER were