The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1891-12-10
: Plain Words on the Situation.

EDITOR DAILY SENTINEL :-Burgla-
ry, train wrecking and train robbery
are fast becoming to be an every
night business. No longer are we
safe on railroad trains or in our
homes. Many families, hundreds of
them where there are only women
a'.' i:ldren are afraid to spend their
lle'.r- / home. Many children are
becoming nervous from fear of bur-
glars. No class is exempt from them;
they go boldly where families are in
the sitting room and tear out the
foundation of the room SO as to ef-
feet an entrance in the cellar and
through the cellar into the main
body of the house as was done here
this week. They go to bed rooms,
pump gas or something else into the
room, prize open the window shut
ters, hoist the window or cut out the
glass and effect an entrance, rob the
inmates while they are asleep under
the effect of the gas pumped into the
room.
Somebody is to blame for this state
of affairs and must be held RESPONSE
BILE. If our civil authorities are not
able to put a stop to it-and they
have up to this time made no prog
ress whatever, although name Of sus-
pected persOnsi have been given to
them with sufficient evidence to war
rant at least Il close watch-then
there must be and will be a law and
order league organic ed that will deal
with burglars, train wreckers aid
train robbers summarily.
nouyo,. ;c 1oriroI from, tho
pie and when the officers of the gov
ernmen are not able to protect it's
citizenship there is something wrong
and it is time to re elegate the pow
er back to the people. The founda-
tion of the trouble is in the fact that
we have substituted sentiment for
common sense and justice. We have
established a penitentiary, rented
farms and put our convicts on them,
feed, clothe and take care of them in
stead of whipping them at the whip
ping post or hanging them on a
scaffold. Our courts lack the firm
ness necessary to execute the laws
faithfully and impartially. Our ju-
rors don't realize the Importance of
their position. When they convict it
is often the case that the convict is
the recipient of bouquets from senti-
mental women, and are made heroes
instead of criminals and felOns.
Executive clemency is often sought.
Sentimentalists, judges, solicitors
and jurors often petitioning the Gov
ernOr for communication or respite OF
sentence, which is some time, no
doubt, granted on the personnel OF
the petitioners inseead of the merits
of the crime.
The time is ripe and has now come
to follow the example of the brave
men of New Orleans. All honor to
them, and put an end to this bur-
glary business in this community
Men here are suspected and there is
evidence tending to show that there
is an organization here more danger
Gus than the Maffiia of New Orleans
| Citizens, what are you going to dc
about the matter? Are you going to
quietly submit to having your home.
| and bedrooms entered and robbed?-
| to having your wives and children
afraid to live at home?
| When our home are no longer safe
the country and civilization are fail
ures. We cannot longer submit tt
this reign of terror. Let us be VI
and doing-anda at once-and foreve
stamp out this lawlessness and there
by protect our homes and our fam
lilies.
Who will lead us in this great pa
triotic and noble work. Our depend
ence and safety are in the people.
COMMON SENSE"