Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-06-07

LANCASTER, PA, June z, 1889.
Il It Martial I.awi

ThSt great emergency knows no law
seems to be 4 doctrine particularly ac-
cepted In this country, and upon It Ii
based the steady dominion which Judge
Lynch obtains among us. There Is not
q section of the nation where he may
not be expected to appear upon suffi-
silent provocation and the only differ
ence between the ections-between the
older civilization Of the East and the
newer Of the VESTS that 1t takes more
to move the communities here than
there to invite the Judge to preside.
We used to think that Pennsylvania
was quite free from the possibility Of
his dominion, until few years ago, In
= neighboring county, he suddenly took
his seat and no one was ever pun
ished afterward by the law for the out
break.
So now we are not much surprised
that the Judge has taken things into his
hands at Johnstown. The fact that few
thieves and other barbarians have been
strung up for their misdeeds has created
neither sensation nor protest, and un-
doubtedly the dominant feeling Is that
they were served right this feeling
however, being founded upon the tales
of the reporters about fingers being
found in the Huns pockets, cut off for
their rings. 1t Is interesting to note In
this connection that leading man Of
their nationality has visited Johnstown
TO inquire into these charges against his
people, and that he reports that the
finger-cutting stories were made up out
Of the whole cloth by the reporters and
we do not believe that this IL beyond
them. We have declined, for some days
now to believe any remarkable tale COM
ing from Johnstown, upon which horde
Of reporters Is sitting, who are bound
daily to send an interesting letter out OF
exhausted materials. The enterpris-
ing young man who made his
pencil tell that narrowing tale
Of the mother of seven children, who
sent them out Of her attic window, one
by one, each carefully seated on sep
arate board that she gathered In as she
needed 1t, from the fiotsam passing
by, but trusted herself to no board, and
was finally saved on her roof, quite ex-
hausted our capacity for swallowing
fairy tales, and we have been able to
stomach none since.
But not only the Hungarian hangings
have been accepted with nonchalance,
but the practical operation of martial
law also seems TO excite no surprise OF
criticlsm. In honest truth, however
we think II should. General Jackson
got into the hands of the law u,
New Orleans, in a greater emergency
and from less provocation perhaps thar
General Hastings has given. jackson
was held by the community to be righ
though the law condemned him an,
iaI rs confirmed the verdict. w
ereason to believe that the adju
6neral VT the state, representa-
thOrity N its governor, will b
heartily sustained by public opinion
though he also violates the Law
ut what we do think Is that ther
should be elasticity enough found In tn
Law to take In such situation a. this, an
10 prevent the seeming need of j,
Violation in the cause of the public safety
We understand that the military occu
patton of Johnstown Is under the orde
Of the sheriff, who nominally Is in com
mand Of 1t. But the sheriff's authorit,
- preserve the peace is extraordinarily
stretched In putting a..corion of bayonet
around Johnstown, and forbidding tn
entrance into II of anyone who does nc
have a pass signed by some other sell
constituted authority; and 1t Is danger
Gus power for sheriff to have. II ma
work well enough this time but mex
time not SO well. There should b
q court In session in Johnstown, unde
whose influence the sherifrs authorit,
should be exercised. 1t il a place and
time where and when the law should b
supreme. We do not believe in emer
gencies when the law is silent In
civilized state. The greater the emer
gency the greater the need of the law
With q court at hand and a sheriff sup
piled with an abundance of deputies, tn
law can be made To work to protect tn,
community and To preserve the peace
while avoiding undue interference will
personal liberty.
The Habit Of Hill.
Gov. Hill has vetoed the high licens
bin passed by the New York Legislator,