New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-23
HOW JUSTICE CAN BE DONE.

Justice Brown has a proper idea or the vaiue
of a lawbreaker's enforced confession OF quit
| He listened to Mr. Shepards recommendation
| for mercy in the case Of McKane's most ras-
| co1lv accomplish and also to Mr.. JenkSs aston
| ishipc declaration that Newton had been manly
| IN his acknowledgment Of responsibility Tor MS
| octs and then cut down the maximum penaIty
| fbroc months The sentence Of nine months III
the pcnitentary is an adequate penalty undcr
the circumstances and the discretion or the
| Court in not being unduly influenced by pleas
for mercy is to be heartily commended. The
Introduction of Newton's testimony for the
State enabled Jamiesons counsel to appeal
strongly TO the prejudice of the jury, ana
| dsorreement was narrowly escaped. 1t is 10
no honed that no use will be made of New
ton rs n witness il the remaining trials. Inc
lawbreakcrs still to be tried are utterly ue-
moralzed. and It is not improbable that most
, Of them will follow NcwtOn's example ana
plead guilty.
With McKane in Sing Sing, Sutherland
fugitive from justice, Newton under sentence
Of nine months, and Jameson ana the other
accomplices confronted with terms OF lmpris
onmcnt. the Gravesend gang OF poilticiahs mas
been completely broken up I'VE months ai'c'
their registry conspiracy and election crimes
While the slowness of processes OF Justice
;c nroverbial. the machinery works rapidly
| ord smoothly when honest men are III
| charge of it and the tremendous force OF pupilc
opnion is behind it. When Mckane ana HIS
confederates defed the authority or the SUI
preme Court they had assurances OF saIc'y
and immunity from punishment in the khowi
| edge that they had Il political pull upon NC
! Lauchlin and the District-Attorney once
They could not forecast the recoil OF puDiic III
dcnation. which parayzed politicians III once
and involved the employment or prosecuting
counsel who could battle the arts OF jury
| 0xcrs' and secure the conviction or lawDreak-
crs on indictments not framed 10 DE qu'isheu
ON trial or invadatcd by higher courts. PUB
lie opinion with honest prosecutors bent upon
securing the conviction and punishment OF
criminals has been irresistible in Brooklyn
So will it be also in Troy II the politicians
under Senator Murphy's control can be DIS
armed in the District-Attorney' Office ana eicc-
ton murlcrers and thieves prosecuted by hon-
est LAWYERS The gangs OF repeaters ana mugs,
who took possession Of the pollingpaces and
undertook 10 assassinate Republican watchers,
knew that they had the police with them ana
Senator Murphy and Governor Flower pehihd
them. and felt confident that the DistrictAt-
tornovs office could be invoked In their interest
Public opinion alone can secure the cohvicuoh
of those cowardly rufians and murdcrers. III
,bot e,,nrcmc force can be invoked in Troy, rs
# has been in Brooklyn, Senator Murphy Will
be as powerlcss as Boss Mclaughlin to save
the miscreants from punishment. That Is what
is INDISPENSABLE in NewYork, Buffalo, Staten
Island. Ncw-Jcrscy, or wherever else the al
ministration Of law has been tempered win ana
prostituted to political ends.
Americans have n despairing way or saying
"The law is at fault when crime hourishes
and lawbreakers escape punishment. That is a
mistake The law Is not ut fault. 1t Is the
administration Of the law that Is lax. The
District Attorneys office Is too often political
agency. whose resources are employed for the
combination of crimes. Whenever ii Is honestly
and rcsolutcly administered, that office has no
more difficulty in dealing with political Offend
ers and election thieves than it has In bringing
frlendess housebreakcrS and horse-thieves to
Justice 1t has not been necessary to have new
laws in order TO break up the Gravesend gang
Honest men as prosecutors alone were needed
10 have criminals indicted under the old laws
and then convicted Public opinion forced
prosecutors of the right stamp into the Dis
trict- Attorncy's office, and the victory for JUS
tice and good government was won. That Is
perhaps the most pressing need Of reformed
local government throughout the land today:
an honest and efficient administration Of JUS
tice on the part Of public prosecutors