The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1893-06-23
WELL DONE!

property, was the very best thing,
under the circumstances, that could
have been doue.
OF course Mr.. RagsdaIe is being
criticised and abused by some; but
be can afford to endure this under
the approval of his own conscience /
that he has done his duty, his whole
duty and nothing but his duty. He
not only has the approval of his own
conscience, but he has, or if he has
not now he will have when sober,
second thought comes, the approval
of very large majority OF the people
of this county.
II we are mistaken in this, we hope
never to live TO learn our mistake.
We love the people of Maury County
too we'll and admire them too much
to believe they will censure sworn
officer for doing his sworn duty, and
require him instead to deliver de-
fenseless prisoner into the hands of
his enemies to be murdered. We
believe differently Of the people Of
Maury, and il this is true, then We
still prefer to believe a lie. We do
not wish to lose respect for a people
we have known and respected 30
long.
In this connection we wish also to
commend Chief Friel and policemen
DowelI and Voss for the Rssistapce
they gave the Sheriff in quelling the
disturbance Monday night. 1t Ia In
such times as those when a faithful
officer who will bravely defend the
law for the sake Of the law, can and
does earn in an hours time years
salary aud the lasting gratitude OF y
community.
We wish also to commend Mr..
Watson for his patience and forbeAr'
ance at the time. He did what few
of us would have done, he tempered
justice with mercy. He acted a
nobler part and is 3 better aud hap
pier man to-day than II he had yield
ed to righteous wrath and slain the
vile creature then and there. IL the
''' father had dealt out death to the de-
PRAYED wretch, the AsgrO wOuld havG
gotten no more than he deserved per-
IN Ekps !; but Nr. .WAtssA is . ASSlsI
man and will always be o happier
q man for not doing 1t.
THE HERALD does not believe In
mob law at all. Upon this qu0stiOI
very many good men and women dif
fer with US. They contend that undej
certain circumstances and for ont
particular crime, the criminal shoulC
be summary dealt with, that ven
geance should come swift aud sure
We do not think 80. We bclieV,
that for one man, or a dozen men, o
hundred men, to take anothe
mans life Tor vengeance sake,
murder, and we cannot endorse mur
der under any circumstances. Mo-
law is not only sinful way to re
venge wrong, but it il u coward.
way, and, we believe, does NOR
harm than good. Very few men VIII
have killed another, save in self de
tense, can ever be happy again; an
men who have taken hand in mo
or two, are not apt to make the bes
citizens in the future. 1t demoraI
ICES the whole community. 1t Ell
cOurages the already wicked, de
PRAYED and bIOodthirsty, to acts {
bloody vengeance. 1t teaches yOun
boys to become q law unto then
selves, and to harbor thoughts {
vengeance and blood, for any SUI
posed wrong. And it leads whol
community to place small value o
human life, to cOndoue il not applaud
bloody deeds, to have little respeC
for AID to disregard the laws of tn
land.
To endure the crimes for whic
mobs most generally act, IS not to
thought of, OF course. But we thin
the courts eau be made better med
ums than drunken, irresponsible
brutal, bloody mobs. II our Ia
makers would give more attention
amending and perfecting our Grim
nal laws, and devote less time
changing our city charters and count
lines, it would he well for the peOpl
And if we have had law make
heretofore who would not do thi
lets try and get law makers hereatt
who will do it.
The justifiers Of mob law say IL
woman in the case should not
called upon to testify in open cou
to her great humiliation. That
true, she ought not. But why N
make your law TO read that her, dep
sition may be taken in private,
that she may testify to her father
husband, and he to the Court?
The justifiers OF mob law cemplai
81 ha IL ,,H l.. N