The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-18
The Law upheld IN MisslssiDpL

The Law Upheld IN Mississippi
John L. Sullivan now has All opportunity
20 ponder upon the wicked ess Il prize
fighting. He has been sentenced 20 twelve
months confinement in the Mississippi peDi-
Tertiary. The leasing system is in opera
ton in that state, and it IS probable that
the famous slugger will as ist in working
plantation or in building abroad. 1t viii
not hurt him to do little hard work, and
when he has served out mis- sentence he will
be prepared to earn a living outside Of the
prize ring
Doubtless there will be good deal of
sympathy EXPIRE sed for Sullivan by those
VIII do not see any ham in prize fghti 2.
Some Of those who regard przs fig ting a.
brutal, a I'd condemn it, viii say t at MS
punishment is too severe. 1t wnull not be
su prisIng if many who demanded the en-
fJrcement Of the law agai st him should
ask the governor o pardon hin.
Sullivan, however, has not been treated
with unnecessary severity. He knew what
the la of Mississippi was with respect to
priz fighting, and he was warned that If he
violated it he would have - suffer the CO
sequences. He refused to heed the warning
and took the chances Of escapi z pu lish-
ment He thought, doubtless, that if
he get out Of the state after break
ing its laws he would not be
molested. Neither he nor his advisers real
lied what determined sort Of a man ths
cover or Of Nj sissppi was. They had
been accustomed to do pretty much as icy
pleased, and they cohclu led that the gov
ornor did not mean all he ii. They ln w
noy that nc did, and they are no in qlite
so pleasa 1t frams of mi ID as they wee
before the fight COX placs.
II will be interesting to see what the
northern journals will say about this SEN
tenco They sneerel a. the governors
effort to prevent the fight, and dc / rel
that no did not intend to prevent it, out
oily sought to make a tile cheap notorlety
for himself. They have an opportunity
now for further co nmeut. If they are
honest they will admit the governor IS sin
c rity, and comm nd him for the deter
milation he has shown to bring the law
breakers to justice.
The grand jurors showed a disposition to
refuse to fl ID indictments against either the
principals Of the prize fixht or The aiders
and abettors of it. judge Terrell, who pre-
side the court, gave them talk that
rather alarmed them. He pointed out their
duty, and gave them to understand that
thev must perform it. This had the desired
effect.
Some of the northern journals that have
been accustomed to speak of southern JUS
tice as something of a farce were astonishod
at the way the judge talked to the grand
Jurors. 1t gave them a ne@ ilea of south
ern courts. One of them, the Chicago
Tribune, which is a out as extreme re-
publican Journal as there is in the west,
said: "Fancy a Chicago judge talking after
this style to a gra I'd jury made up Of
saloonkeepsrs and ward work rs. They
are behind the times in many things
in Mississippi, but they still retain
the cid ideas of the dignity
of the judicial Office" If the Tribune was
disposed to bs perfectly franl it would adj
nit. also, that in all parts of the south
COOL many of the Old IDEAS at tend to
prom tie the welfare OF Getty are still re-
tn ned, aud that il many thl igs tao north
wo Id do we'll to copy from the south.
K.lrai has no. gone to Mississippi yet,
and he win not feel much like going there,
nov that he KIN Iws the fate that awaits him.
He has no alternative, however, if he wishes
to remain in this country. If he should
forfeit his bail the governor would hunt
him down. The referee got off with a com
paratively light fine. 1t is the purpose of
the governor evidently to punish only the
principals severely.