The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1890-04-18
SENTIMENT N LAW

no use for laws if they do not pro
tect the lives and property of on.
citizens and the poorest or mos.
ignorant have the same right t.
Il cir protection as the man o
wealth and influence. The RecorC
says:
Gov. Stone was elected Cover
nor against all precedent, because
the people believed in HMM his
honest good sense and firmness.
1t has been three months since he
was inaugurated, and he has been
pretty well tried, the trial proving
that the honest masses were not
mistaken in the man. Three in
stances Of signifcances have oc
CURED
1. The case of Thomas, the ne
gro murderer of a lovely white
girl in Smith county. No worse
case ever occurred in the State,
and if mob law could be justified
by the tiendness of a deed, this
case. it is admitted, would Justify
any kind of mob violence. The
persistence with which certain pa
pers mislepresent the facts make
1t proper to give an outline of the
case.
The negro Thomas, after muir
dering The poor girl, was captured
near Jackson and turned over to
Sheriff Harding, of Kinds county,
who lodged him in Jail. Shortly,
angry men came in pursuit and
their attention of mobbing
the prisoner. Sheriff Harding set
about to protect his prisoner and
avoid bloodshed. He applied to
Gov. Stone, and the Governor or
dered The prisoner to be lodged in
the penitentiary for safety. Next
morning a writ was issued by
Esq. Harris ordering the Sheriff to
carry the prisoner before a Smith
county magistrate for a prelimina-
ry examination. There was no
disguise Of the intention of the
parties to mob the prisoner, once
he was over in Smith county. He
conferred with the Governor, and
Gov. Stone told him to keep his
prisoner where he was till it was
safe to proceed to carry out the
mandate Of the magistrate. The
mandate would be just as truly
Obeyed in two days or a week, if
that time were necessary to really
carry out the order of the magis-
rate. While this was being done,
negro instituted habeas corpus
proceedings before Chancellor
yowan, as he had a legal right to
10. Judge Cowan denid him bail
md ordered him kept in the peni-
entiary, subject to the order Of
Mayors. Judge Mayors, in
urn, instructed the Sheriff to hold
lim till he was wanted for trial.
LAST week Thomas was carried
lnder military escort to Smith
Ounty, where he will doubtless
re legally hung. This is the whole
ase. Sheriff Harding and the
Governor have acted legally and
nth rare good sense. 1t is owing
o their cool judgment that there
5 not mourning in other Smith
homes today, for Sheriff
larding is not a man to be over
un by a mob. He appreciates his
bIigations to the law. A State t
here law is not stronger than (
assion is unsafe for every one.
2. Gov. Stone has come under {
ensure for letting a white man c
ang for killing a negro. The case i
-as a very bad one. Cheatham i
ept a store, gambled with negroes, q
nd when one Of them testified a
galnst him, he secured assistance, O
the negro, shot him in the "
ack, put him in a sack, weighted e
i'm and threw him in the river. Il
a conversation the Governor said: W
1t is an awful thing for a man to d
ang. | went all through this case, So
'oklng for soft place, some mlti- e.
ltIng circumstance, some excuse ci
my own conscience for extend Il
g executive clemency; but there G
as absolutely nothing in his fav- 81
;. 1t was argued that he was in So
but that was only the b,
reason why he should not hi
we assassinated an ignorant ne lie
1t was urged that it was a ia
gro he killed; well, if a white la
an puts himself with negroes, he Sc
mot claim any consideration on m
count of his color. Besides. we ia
that we will rule this coun- I'll
2, and, if we rule, we must pro- IL
It those we rule.o Sentiment of
out Grenada went wrong, and FIR,
is it was hard for the Governor al
do right. III
In the treasury defalcation. dr.
/, officers of the law are for doing to
sir duty but great effort is be. re
made to break the force of the sh
' by false sentiment. la.
let us remember that the
ength of law is the sentiment a {
favor of its enforcement. To be
wrong in sentiment is incipient phi
asOn to law and social order. in
e individual citizen is response an
for the sentiments he expresses. on
have law, we must have right no
Ibment. Mississippi has none do
much reputation for law and mi
.er. Indeed. our reputation is bo