The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-01-31
Are We . Law.Asidi.s People ,

the damaging effect to our county and
community which has arisen, or may
arise, from exaggerated reports in refer
ence to the white Cap" organization,
and It's efforts to remedy existing evils
in this and adjoining counties. It will
be conceded on every hand that much
that was disreputable was freely charged
to the"white Gaps" Of which in all prob.
ability, the order knew nothing. As to
organizations Of this kind We expressed
our views in these columns some time
since. And while we do not agree with
DR.. Fullerton in his communication to
the Cincinnati paper, yet we are i'm.
pressed that sober lesson is to be drawn
from the Doctors views, and from the fact
that there was, or should be, any neces-
sity for any organization Of any kind to
redress wrongs in this county. Sin,
transgression and wrong doing have ex-
listed as long as we have any history OF
the human family. On account of this
disposition in man to transgress on the
rights of his fellow, governments have
been established, laws have been enacted
for the suppression of crime and the
protection OF person and property.
Courts have been established by the
authority Of the people, and to these
courts is committed the Interpretation
and execution OF the laws. For courts OF
justice have become notoriously slow
method Of reaching justice-sometime
1t Is never reached.
Now what is wrong? Where is the
remedyP It may be safely said that it
does not require very learned man to
criticise or point out errors, either in
church or State or social life. But it
certainly becomes the imperative duty
of the public press to call attention to
the errors that exist and to unsparingly
denounce the wrongs that are seen.
This becomes very unpleasant duty
for any one to write Of the wrongs Of
their own community and neighbors,
but the turmoil that has been caused in
the Mayors Court of Hillsboro in the
last three weeks is calculated to awaken
the inquiry, are we q law-abiding peo-
pie? Are our courts of justice accom-
plishing the end for which they were in
stituted? The Mayors Court is not dii-
ferent from other courts in its manner
of conducting the business before it, nor
are the methods of attorneys any more
to be censured in this court than they
are in the higher courts-as far as we
can see. But the practice pursued and
methods allowed in all our courts OF
justice are calculated in very many in
stances to defeat the ends of justice, and
when such is the result the people are
induced to take matters into their own
hancs.
We are not at all of the belief that
any pressing need exists in this commu.
nifty Ior in this State for any. citizens
committee to redress existing evils, but
we are very strongly impressed that the
public conscience needs an awakening
in reference to the injustice allowed in
the practice before our courts.
1t has come to be q common expires
sion that an attorney is an able one
when he can bring one technically
after another to defeat the just ends o.
the law. He is said to be fighting the
case at every step, and if he succeeds in
his efforts, the public conscience Seems
to be 80 dead to true sense of right
and wrong as to applaud his ingenuity
We denounce this practice in the nam,
of the community of which we form ,
part. We enter solemn protest agains
the officers who preside in our courts o
justice in allowing the ends of justice Il
be defeated, and we ask the members o
legal profession in this county to tn
wretched inconsistency of any attorne,
receiving a fee for his service in case
good or bad-going before tribu
nal in the name of justice and ther
claiming the privilege of abusing wit
! nesses in receiving money for their ser
vices in the interest of the law. Nov
we claim that our courts are not highe
than the power that created them, no
are the gentlemen who are privileged Il
practice in our courts to imagine tina
they are superior race of beings AM
their opinion is absolute authority as t
what is law, or as to what is proper con
duct on the part of the citizen. TAX
the position of the three different pa,
ties in the liquor cases recently tried
witnesses, counsel and defendants
First, the witnesses, they suffer tn
abuse of the attorneys in open cour
being called low.lived sneaks, men VIII
, sold their characters for mess of pottag'
and what for? because they have aide
. in detecting law-breakers. In this il
, stance the public conscience in not n
: buking such abuse is dead to il
best interest. Next take those wh
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