Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-17
THE LEADER OF THE REGULATORS
What Mr. Parkerson says-The soveIeie"
People Actcd-No Regrets
ID. .nino,-s,,,,, % tho Diar,nfchl


NEW YoRK. March 16.-The Trib,me's New
Orleans correspondent has had an inter-
view with William s. Parkerson. the leader
Of the regulators. =,
II did not take the initiative he said;
in answer 10 questions. Il could not teli
who did. II was all done by Others; had
no connection with the case beyond taxing
| a good citizens interest in it and dropping
into court once or twice to see now IL was
getting along. That evening we met IN the
| rooms of young man whose name donV
care to give There were about loo OF us.
We all signed o call that was publisheu IN
the next mornings papers, asking the cltl-
| Zens 10 assemble at 10 O'Clock on oaturuay
morning at the Clay statue, and saying we
| would be prepared 10 carry out tner III
structions.
Didn't il strike You ms not courageous,
to shoot q lot of unarmed men in hole;
well" said the young lawyer quietly:
There was no doubt about the courage Oh
any man in our party. OF course 1t is not
| a courageous thing TO attack man VINO Is
not armed, but we looked upon these men
as so many reptiles" a.,
do you regret what you have done 2"
asked after a pause.
Not a bit" said Parkerson promptly;
excepting that the necessity arose ana
the duty was forced upon me. There ~ no
man who ~ more loyal and law-aOlolllS
American citizen tnan | am. am prouu
| of my citizenship and will do everything
to uphold it. / teach my children TO 90
the same"
But haven't pou met one violation OF
the law with another?n
IT WAS GREAT EMERGENCY.
mo, this was great emergency, greater
than ever happened In New York, Clncin-
natl, or Chicago. 7 did not act through
sentimental or personal interest Tor Hen
| nessey. | knew him well, and asked Mayor
Shakespeare TO appoint him. He was 1ne
man and an efficient officer, and we teit
when be was killed that there was no tell
ing which of us would go next. While the
Malta confined itself TO killing its own
members we did not resort to violence.
But Hennessey's killing struck et the very
root of American institutions. Theintimi-
dation Of the Mafa and the corruption
of our luries are 10 be met only
with strong measures. Moreover, L
recognize no power above the people.
Under our Constitution the people are the
sovereign authority. and when the courts,
their agents, fail to carry out the law, the
authority is relegated back 70 the people
who gave II. In this case 1 look upon IL
that we represent the people-nOt the peo-
pie of the whole United States, perhaps.
but the people Of Louisiana. This IS a
thing with which the United States has
nothing TO do. 1t is question or State
government entirely. since the state con-
trolls its own municipalities"
Don't you think your example may en-
courage mOh-law!"
No. don't. This emergency was an
extraordinary one. We could not wait TO
have the laws against jury-packing re-
vised. If a man spits in your face or slaps
your face do you sit down and wait for the
law to redress your grieyanceI Ii IS not
IN human nature TO do it. IL Is not in my
nature or yours or in that of any good
citizen. The theory about turning the
other cheek when one is smitten is all very
well. but when the cheek is smitten the
blood bOils.n
Then you don't think Christianity and
American civilization recoRelAahicI 49,
THERE WILL BE NO MORE DISORDER.
"In some cases it doesn't seem so. No;
as TO waiting for the Legislature TO act,
the Legislature does not meet for year,
and there are the laws delays and peoples
lives IN danger. The Governor might have
been asked to call an extra session, but no
one is sure that he would have consented.
] am not taking any measures 70 quell
fresh disorder. There Will be no disorder.
Everything is quiet. The good people are
behind us. / don't consider that | am con-
trolling the town. Mayor Shakespeare IS
in control and is well able to administer
the law. l don't apprehend any
trouble myself except from the Federal
authorities. Ii is true, they say. that
these men were the subjects of foreign
potentates. But | understand that they
were Just dumped here and that their own
governments were glad enough TO get nd
of them. Here is telegram | have Just
received from X. NJ. Tannahill, of New
York, saying that southerners there have
drunk bumper to my health
THE thing / am proudest Of" he cried,
ms was leaving, " is that | am an Ameri-
dicate my citizenship