The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-08-11
EUROPEAN VS.. AMERICAN JUSTICE.


EUROPEAN VS.. AMERICAN JUSTICE.
The differences between the mini5tra-
lions of Justice between America and
every other civilized nation, whether
republican or monarchical in govern.
ment. are but too plainly perceptible to
tia naked eye to be altogether pleasant.
The summary and swift punishment
which il to be melted out to the assassin
Of the French president, stands out in
grim and unpleasant contrast to the
eight months which elapsed between the
cruel mSrder OF Garter Harrison and the
execution of the brute who sent him
into eternity without moments warn
Ing. Santos killed Carnot on the 24th
day OF June, and on the Sd day o! Au-
gust he was sentenced to the guillotine.
So far as any chance for reprieve or
respite is concerned, the slayer OF the
French president might as we'll be dead
and buried today. All the stays OF exc
cution. writs OF error and the other
which the law, in America, interferss
to defeat the ends OF justice, cannot
avail anything in behalf of the cruel
and cowardly anarchist who stabbed
Carnot to death. But if he had killed
President Cleveland. it would have been
At least six months before the case
would have been brought to trial. The
interim would have been consumed with
applications for change of venue and all
other sorts of tricks and bubbles by
which able counsel and inscriptions
advocates aim to defeat the ends of jus
CO. Then would come the second act
3 in the farce.
This part OF the show consists in draw.
ing the jury. and all the men who have
read anything about the case in the
newspapers, at the time the crime took
place. are riRidly excluded from the
panel. Finally they would get dozen
of the biggest leathsrhesds they could
find, and trust the trial Of the case to
them. Al soon as the jury we're sworn
in, the farcical examination of witnesses
would begin, and then objections to
each and every question would be made
by the defendants counsel.
II these lawyers saw the case was
likely to go against them, then the in
sanity dodge would be called into play
30 prove that defendant had nothing
against his helpless victim, but merely
killed him because he was mentally and
morally irresponsible for his actions
Then an army Of medical men would be
brought forward as expert testimony to
determine as to the sanity OF the pris.
oner. 1t would be set up in evidence
that he had suffered from eunstroke az
baby; or that be had lain asleep in the
moonlight when he was 8 years old
and had at times acted very strangely
ever since.
If he was convicted by any chance the
probabilities are that at least q year
would elapse between his conviction and
the execution of his sentence. In tho
mean time, the counsel for the defenae
would find some objection to the manner
In which the judge had delivered his
charge to the jury and an appeal to the
supreme court would be taken on that
1bAsis. All this time the prisoner would
rs visited in his cell by sympathetic
young ladies belonging to respectable
iinmilies, who would decorate his dun
!geon with flowers and bring in baskets
of delicacies to supersede the coarse
prison fare.
II the supreme court found the writ OF
error to be devoid of merit, then the
prisoner would be hanged. provided the
prisoners relatives did not have a po-
litical pull and procure for him com
mutation OF sentence.
The jail at San Francisco contains
men who have been convicted OF murder
prior to 1871; and there are in other jails
u this state necks long since overdue at
he gallows. In Oregon there has been
40 execution for nearly five years; and
10 Idaho, last Friday, occurred the first
|bxecution under the law that mad been
|$neted out to murderer In nearly nine
zoars. The anarchists who deem it such
= dreadful thing to tage the lie Of a
hurderer, and who look upon one as the
ictim oi needless persecution, are too
t9ong in America for the public good,
Vt they have met with a wholesome
Sbuke in France, and good men will
soathe all the freer for it when Santos
+ beheaded. The uncertainty of that
6currencs makes his punishment all
more severe. as the date of execu-
10 IL left to the discretion OF the police
6fals themselves.