Birmingham age-herald., 1894-12-20

never convict other white men when their offense is lynching negroes. It insinuates that the jury was governed by race prejudice and allowed racial animosity to triumph over justice. The Times has certainly al lowed its feeling to run away with it's iudg- ment. It is dangerous thing for news- paper to attack the verdict of a jury. It tends 10 weaken public confidence in the virtue of the right of trial by jnry-a right that was wrung from tyrants at the cost of the bravest blood that ever run from Anglo Saxon veins. What can a newspaper know about the secrets of the jury room and the evidence upon which the verdict is based? It must be admitted that twelve men ara better judges of the merits of a case than one man sitting in his office. It is pre- sumed that twelve men, lree- born and white American citizens, are honest and that they will decide the case according to the law and the evidence, and with the solemnity of their oath resting upon them. One man at least would be honest, and he could hang the jury. It is certainly not presuming too much on human nature to claim that one man in twelve is honest. The rule is generally the reverse-there is oue rascal to eleven honest men.
 
 THE Eutaw Mirror, in advocating the working of State conyicts on the Univer- sity lands along the Warrior river, says; "But we hope Governor Oates and the Legislature will soon have them busy opening coal mines on the Warrior, so as to be ready for the first barge that is lowed up the Warrior for coal. If the State opens these mines every railroad in reach will ha hpa npkpa if and from that date on the convict problem will be settled in the minds of sensible tax payers. Just here we will mention what we heard Pres ident Whitfield of the old N. D. 6 s. w. Alabama Railroad company say in the six ties, while the company was under his management. In speaking of the coal measures of Alabama and of the Warrior coal field especially, be remarked that few days before he was standing at the edge of the water of the Warrior above Tuskaoosa, and the vien of coal, on a part of which he was standing, was IS feet in thickness above him and he did not know how deep under his feet it extended. Just imagine openings made there and 20O0 or 5000 able bodied men turning the coal into fleets of barges as rapidly as they could be fioated 10 the chute, and we may have IalDI luGa LII WDdG luo OuLCOmo u IuO State's finances it would be-.
 GENERAL u WEI, who was condemned to death by the Chinese Emperor because of cowardice at the battle of Ying Pang, is still in the land of the living. He hired substitute, who was decapitated in his stead. The General hangs on about the imperial court and, being officially dead, is safe from all harm. This custom of allow ing a condemned criminal to hire sub- stitute is one of the most peculiar of all Chinese customs. ''For ways that are dark and tricks that are vain the heather Chinee is peculiar.'' When man is found guilty of death the idea seems to be that somebody must be beheaded and it does not matter much who 1t is. Gilbert and Sullivan transferred this idea to Japan and used it as the climax of the Mikado. But moro peculiar still is the ease with which substitutes are found. The Oriental are fatalists and give up life with stoicism astonishing to the Caucasans. If they can have good time in this world they care not for the next. So a wealthy man condemned to be executed has no diff culty in finding some poor fellow who would as soon be dead as to be without money. A bargain is made, the substitute receives his pay and leads life of luxury and dissipation until the day of his death.
 THE Memphis Commercial Appeal per petrated little pleasantly iu regard to the AGE- HERALD's 8 suggestion that Federal prison should be built at or near Birming- ham. The paragraph has gone the unds, and evidently our brethren of the quill re- garded it as good joke. The Commercial Appeal made the point that Birmingham could not only build a prison, but could fill 1t. After all this is a compliment to Bir- mingham, for it implies that the courts of justice here are prompt in bringing crimi- nals to justice. According to the Chatta- nooga Times this much cannot be said of the courts of Memphis, which let loose the men who lynched six negroes.
 THE report of the Attorney General of Alabama, reviewing the criminal work of the past two years, has been issued. There were 5si cases disposed of, aud 426 convic- tions and eighty seven acquittals, making S4 per cent of the whole.
 On Friday night, December 21, there will be magic lantern exhibition and balloon ascension on Morris avenue. Good view from Twenty first street bridge. After the show is over every child present who will give us card bearing the name and ad- dress of his or her mother or lady of the house with whom they live we will pre- sent them with one Alabama certificate and a pretty calendar. The certificates will be redeemed the next day in fireworks. Call on us for premium list.
 12-19-3t MCMILLAN-LEE Co.
 A MOVEMENT ON FOOT