The record-union., 1891-03-25
Voice OF THE PEOPLE
On the Lynching of Murderers at
New Orleans.
An American Citizen Expresses His
Views on the Subject in Clear and
Judges Have More Backbone.

An American citizen, writing to the
San Diego Sun, says:
What are the plain facts? The Malta,
an organized band of thugs and muir
derers in the city of New Orleans. had
for years terroriZed that city and mur-
dered its citizens. defied the law and ter
rorized juries, and at last these thugs
aSsaSSinated the Chief of Police in the
street-shot him to death because he was
attempting to do his duty as an officer
and arrest criminals. The murderers
were arrested and tried. The evidence
was conclusive. Not man in the United
States but believes in his breast that the
men tried were guilty. But through fear
OF their lives or for money the jury failed
to convict. The sovereign people there
executed the law. When the agent
proved dishonest and faithless the princi-
pal acted. These are the plain facts.
Eleven of an organized band of red
handed murderers were killed. Eight of
the eleven were American citizens-at
least, had taken the oath to support the
Constitution and laws of the United
States and the State wherein they were
made citizens. The other three are re-
ported to be citizens of Italy. And thus
we have the representatives of that Gov
ernment demanding retribution and in
demnlty from the United States for this
killing. And we have thousands of men
who have taken the oath Of allegiance to
this Government, and many editors of
Italian papers, frantically calling on a
| 1orelgn Government to come and avenge
their countrymen-a curious proceeding
for American citizens. Mr.. Blaine is
taking hand in the matter, and it is
attempted to make an international mat
| ter of it.
| The Italians refer to the treaty between
! the two Governments. wherein il is pro-
| VIdpd that the cjfIZpnS Of fto1u chall
| the same rights and privileges and be
subjected to the same penalties and re-
! straints as American citizens. Now has
this provision of the treaty been violated
or strained in the least? Not at all. Were
not the citizens of Italy, who were mur-
derers, served exactly the same as the
citizens of the United States who were
murderers? Eight American citizens
murdererS-were killed, three citizens of
ltaly-nurderers were killed. Now,
had the people of New Orleans selected
the three Italian citizens from the
eleven and killed them and saved the
eight American citizens, or had made any
distinction between them, then the Ital-
! ian Government would have had a case
AS it is, it is none of Italy's business.
none of Mr.. Blaine's business, but is
matter that concerns the city of New
Orleans and the State of Louisiana alone.
Now these eleven men were killed, not
because they were citizens of this or any
Other, country, but because they We're
murderers. We have made no treaty
with any foreign nation as to how these
States will administer the laws, only that
we will treat all alike. That's what was
done in this case.
The Malta murderers and bandits were
hunted in Italy like wild beasts. Does
Italy demand that the United States shall
| give them license to rob and murder in
the United States? That is exactly what
this call for vengeance means, if it means
anything. The simple fact is that Ameri-
! can citizenship has been made too cheap.
| The United States has become the dump
ing ground for the paupers and thugs of
| Europe as wellas some of its honest DOOR,
| Our courts are every day making citi-
zens (?) OF persons who do not possess a
| single qualification for citizenship. And
right here let me mention the instance of
one OF our own Superior JudgeS-Aitken
who denied the application of person
for citizenship because it was made plain
| to him that the applicant could not and
would not make good American citizen.
Everyone in the courtroom felt that the
Judge was exactly right. And if our
Judges would reject about nine out Of ten
applicants they would be doing about
right. The sooner the people of these
United States meet this question-as they
must sooner or later-of organized bands
of criminals, like the Malta of New
Orleans, the Clan-na-Gael Of Chicago, the
Molly Maguires of Pennsylvania and the
Highbinders of California, the better
Ii MIR. Blaine wants to represent the
American people he can say to all foreign
Governments: 1.-The United States pro-
poses in the future, as in the past, to keep
lnviolate all treaty stipulations. But the
people ofthe several States will continue
to make and administer their State laws
as they see fit without foreign interfer-
ence that in cases of crime they will not
inquire as to citizenship. If they send
their citizens here and they commit muir
der they will be hung just as surely as
they would be were they American citi-
zens. If any of you don't like the terms
you had better keep your citizens at
home, and if you think you can change
these conditions by sending over an iron
clad, you may try that