The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-08-30
Who Should be Blamed.

~
lis son Charles, confined in the Jail at
Ellensburg and awaiting trial for the
nurder of two citizens of that place,
deplorable exhibition of impatient
'uhlic wrath, that will result in much
hame and confusion to the State of
Washington. 1t is sad confession
that Justice is too slow and uncertain,
hat courts are too timid in eXigen-
les calling for stern and quick re-
prisal and too utterly liberal to law
ers baking justice at every bar, that
he Juror must be halfwitted to be
ull-fitted to Judge question of fact
between society and an indicted muir
derer, and that even conviction is no
surety of punishment of the criminal.
The protection of the innocent is so
sacredly guarded by the courts OF
|christendOm that not one to the mil
ion accused is ever hung by miscar-
-iage of Justice; while of the tens of
thousands of murderers fairly convict
d it is doubtful if as many as twenty
per cent. of them pay the death
penalty, and the balance of them are
ither scot-freed through the cunning
If r-splitting practitioners, or car
ried at the expense of society through
every loop-hole by gushing chicken
hearted sentimentalists whose self
ylorifcation is paramount to decent
regard for peaceable society. These
|deplorable conditions are the fault of
not the common people alone, but in
a greater measure the influential peo-
pie of most communities are blanca
BILE by winking at minor abuses of the
law, occurring constantly under their
own noses. From these winks at
broken law the grade was easy TO the
present supine tolerance of high-class
criminals, escaping just punishment,
and it will be we'll if all of us turn to
and alter our Indifference to more
Jealous defense of the law.
Look at the open unrebuked de-
fiance of laws against gambling, and
the difficulties to secure convictions
therefor. Stand abashed at the
thought that these violators of law
take in the whole gamut of society,
from judges to bootblacks-from sena-
tors to swill-drivers. Look how hard
| it is to enforce the liquor laws against
blind pigs, how hard to convict for
bribery when voters are bought like
sheep, or for perjury when the liar de-
feats Justice between man and man.
and see the influential people who
hide their testimony from prosecuting
officers of the law when decent res
pect for their obligations as good citi-
zens would have made them fearlessly
joutspoken. Has not this indifference
breeding force? And can its brood
be other than bad one? The citi-
zens of Ellensburg rate as high in NOR
ais and patriotism as other portions of
the State, and perhaps no where is the
disgrace of her outlawry more keenly
felt than right there, but how many of
them will turn in and help the prosi-
cutting attorney to bring the guilty par
Elephants to punishment? Failing to
do this, incites further disregard for
the law and leads to more lynchings.
"Men do not gather figs from thistles."
The times demand a radical change
in respect for the law by all classes; a
swifter procedure in reaching finality;
sharp limit upon quibbling and hair
splitting; curtailment of excuses to
dodge jury service, and a higher degree
ofintelligence in the jury-box; a statute
definition of what shall be considered
reasonable doubt" and in capital
cases when finality is reached hang all
murderers within five days thereafter.
The crime rampant today is not the
fault of the spirit of our institutions,
but because society is shirking simple
duties that are required of every MEM
! ber-to obey and sustain the law. We
waste no sympathy over this lynched
father and son. They reaped what
they had sown, but we feel sorry that
the community of Ellensburg has been
disgraced by their own utter disregard
for the law which was to judge as to
the guilt of these men. Let every citi
zen begin at his own door to properly
respect the law and help to create
wholesome public sentiment for quick
I and stern punishment of law-breakers,
then will lynching brutalities cease to
dishonor the State. Stop winking and
do more thinking.-Nooksack Repor-
ter.
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