Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-06-13
THE CRoNIN VERDICT,

Whether Alexander Sullivan, the Chi
cago lawyer and ex-President of the Irish
National League and who has once been
tried for murder and acquitted, is guilty or
innocent, the verdict of the Coroner's jury
IN the Cronin case has ring that will find
responsive echoes in the hearts of all true
Americans. 1t is off of piece with the
courage and patriotism that dared to face
the political demagogy that stood the
friend of the Anarchism that the bronze
monument of the policeman in Hay
market place, Chicago, to-day rebukes in
the name of the people of the State of
Illinois. Chicago juries had the courage
to send 10 the gallows the wretches who
were conspiring for the overthrow of the
best government enjoyed by man, and to
destroy the inalienable right of all to
life, property and the pursuit of happi-
ness. A Chicago jury has now had the
courage to declare that organizations the
objects of which are similar to that which
the testimony shows certain lodges of the
Clan-na-Gael, or United Brotherhood, en-
tertain, are inimical to the interests of the
people, inharmouious with our system
Of government, and dangerous to our in
stitutions. Which is but another way of
saying that if the law cannot without in
Vasion of our individual liberties suppress
such dangerous organizations, public senti-
cIent should so frown upon them, that
Gheir existence will become next to impos-
sible. And we entertain the belief that
such will be the result. There is no place
in this country for any foreign political
conspiracies that ape the form of mere
friendly associations, for the purpose of
forwarding schemes Of assault against ma
tions with which we are at peace We
must concede that the Coroner's jury in
the Cronin case acted in good conscience;
that 1t has reason, under the testimony
taken, for delaring that Sullivan was one
of a band of conspirators to work the tax
ing off of a man whose activity in the
Clan-na-Gael had made him obnoxious, if
not dangerous to the leaders of the Sullivan
faction. Thetaking of the testimony before
this jury occupied several weeks 1t was
from day to day a succession of surprises,
and almost hourly startled the people by
revelations that prove the truth of the old
adge, When rogues fall out honest men
get their dues" The assumption must be
that the jury acted calmly, considerably,
and without passion Nevertheless, since
1t was not a judicial body such as must
now investigate the case, and since the
presumption of Innocence must prevail in
the case of the accused until they are con-
victed By trial jury, judgment should be
suspended in their cases 1t need not,
however, be restrained so far as the Clan
na-Gael is concerned. Whether originally
intended or not by its founders, it certainly
has become the means of conspiracy and
the avenue through which murder was
contemplated. As a political organization
dealing with the agitations disturbing an
other nation, it and all kindred societies
when they claim refuge and protection here,
are in antagonlsm to the genius of our in
stitutions There is no need for them in
furtherance of the cause of right, or of the
independence of Ireland. The friends of
Ireland cannot hope to have the sympathy
of the people of the United States with
them if such agencies are longer employed
as lead to criminal conspiracy and murder,
or condone bomb-throwing and encourage
dark-iantern schemes and cut-throat meth
DDS. If Ireland gains her independence
her true friends will not wish it to be
written into her history that by any such
methods she attained that condition. In
one sense Cronin will not have died in
vain, since his taking off is likely to arouse
the people of the United States to the
danger that is resident in the liberty that
permits any class of people to shelter under
our laws organizations that secretly make
war upon those with whom we are bound
by the ties of amity