The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-06-29
A TERRIBLE RESPONSIBILITY.

Governor Altgeld of Illinois has
pardoned three of the anarchists con-
victed of the Haymarket riot in
Chicago on May A, 1856, and until a
day or two ago serving out their
sentences in Joliet penitentiary. We
have not yet seen his 1900 word
pardon, but the Associated Press
sums it up in this way: "The gov
ernor takes the ground that these
men did not have fair trial and the
court was prejudiced. He scores
Judge Gary and Chief of Police Bon
field severely" And yet there are
these who with truth boast of the
majesty of the law. They can do 30,
for one death does not make an cpl
demic-but what o terrible lever such
q pardon gives those who complain OF
tardy Justice, of mistrials, of techni-
cal acquittals and of the too free use OF
the pardoning power.
That Haymarket riot has gone into
the history of the Union as one OF the
most terrible occurrences of the CEN
tury. The trial that followed was
sensational in the extreme and when
the verdict was reached of the death
of four of the participants in the riot
and the long incarceration of most OF
the others, sense of legal satisfaction,
etrong hope and reliance in the en-
forcement of law and order
swept over the nation. APP
peals for mercy were made
to the then governor of Illinois, but
without avail-and the decree of the
court was enforced.
But now years after those days
of danger, under a new regime, another
governor turns loose the survivors un-
der the decree of that court. Would
he have pardoned those four whom
the court then said should hong?
Dou btless so. For if the Associated
Press has correctly reported him he
now soys that trial, in which they
were all implicated, was not fairly
conducted and that tie court was
prejudiced.
Does it not strike you that this is
rather questionable criticism and a
most grave reflection upon a
high court of law, coming
from a state executive? If
one branch of the government, the
executive, can thus afford openly and
from its high station, not only to
charge unfair dealing on court, but
even to impute such dishonest mo-
tive as prejudice can you hope
for criticism and elimination to end?
If the co. ordinate branches of govern
ment have no respect for each other,
how can you expect the people to have
respect for the government as whole?
If the people are thus to be taught
that they have erected government,
each of whose branches are at war
with the others, how long think you
will they have respect for that govern
ment, or how long before they will
decide 10 take the admin.
istration of affairs into their
own hands? Do not instances of this
kind do more to fasten mob law on
the country than a hundred heinous
crimes?
So mach for the pardon in its legal
aspect. What effect will 1t have in
Chicago and elsewhere in the Union
upon the followers of the principles
of those who precipitated the Hay
market riot? Governor Altgeld says
the court was prejudiced. What does
he mean? Prejudiced against An
archists? Does ne commend anarchy
Does he regard it as thing to be pet
ted rather than TO be stunned and
become prejudiced against? Does he
not fear that his pardon in tone and ef
eject is very likely to throw tirebrand
among men who preach principles
antagonistic to our form of govern
ment and who constitute, unrestrain-
ed, a terrible menace to free institu
tions such as ours? Absolutely con
vincipg must have been the proofs
brought to bear on him, or terribly
reckless of the future must he have
been thus TO have expressed himself
Upon his head rests responsibility
in which a whole nation is concerned
If he is wrong, hardly has man ever
so grievously sinned politically. i
he is right, he has the courage of his
convictions that will always mark
him distinguishe man among men
THE STATESMAN very much breads
the solution of this alternative thai
the future may give.