The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1895-04-30
THE ADVOCATE.
No Law In Kentucky.

ing concealed deadly weapons, and as
an abstract proposition all he says is
well enough.
But the practice of carving conceal
ed deadly weapons is not 80 much q
disease, as it is symptom of social
disease too deeply seated to be cured
by the indignation from the bench.
In England men do not carry veal :
ons. In Eastern States gentlemen
going about their daily business do
not carry weapons. In England MUIR
derisraraely commit Ell openly. The
only danger is from some drunken
brute or from scheme of robbery. So
ciety there is menaced chiefly by the
criminal classes, and they are well un-
der control, and so it is in our Eastern
=. States.
1t is not SO in Kentucky. Here the
law licenses crime. Not one case in
one-hundred of murder is punished.
Murder is not the crime of The crimi-
nal classes, but of the respectable citi-
zens.
Men take vengence with their own
hands. They defend themselves. They
protect their honor. They punish
their enemies. They have a contempt
for law
The reason is plain; the law dc
not punish murder committed by such
as Goebel, by Vanarsdale, by Delaney,
by Goodloe, by Swope.
We say public opinion is demora''
lied, but it has been demoralized by
the courts; by our prosecuting attor-
neys, by our judges, by our juries.
Goodloe and Swope watched fol-
each other, awaited provocation.
Goebel deliberately put an insult on
Sanford, which he felt would force
him into fight, and so began long
q weeks ago. to construct theory ofself-
defense. He followed his written
provocation with verbal denunciations
and then when the two met, the law
was silent.
The law is silent in Kentucky 'fnter
anna silent leges."
W Now if wild beasts like Goebel, like
AMassie, like the Delaney assassins, like
Goodloe and Swope-for man with
the reins given to his passion is only
wild beast--have no fear of the law,
where is mans protection?
With himself alone, "All that a man
has will he give for his life" No not
all; he has often honor at stake, and
the respect of his associates, and
public opinion-brutal though it be-
and stupid and ignorant and degraded
as on this subject it is in Kentucky
directs his conduct.
Read the decision of the Court Of
Appeals IN the case of Massie, from
Owen county, and see whntth" highes
/. court considers mans "2ul' under
provocation. Read the Dolaney case
and hear the highPt court Cirect 6
mans friends not to law for redress
not to writ of habra7 corpua for Sc
curing freedom of action, bat to theil
own violent instincts.
No, Judge Saufe no, gentleman
of the jury; no, you honorable gentle
men of the highest bench Vi The sale
murder is not done because men carry
concealed weapons; it is done because
you gentlemenahave, little by little
explained away the law against muir
der and issued license TO every MAJ
who thinks himself wronged to RICH
his wrongs in any manner most con
venient.
And society has merely armed itsel
against these licensed criminals, as {
easure Of precaution.
The remedy for it is to.hang a gen
tleman.
We hang negro occasionally; W.
sometimes imprison a man for life
who has killed woman, but we never
hang gentleman. Since tic days o
Wilkerson, the Missippi gentleman,
who killed a Kentucky tailor, to Goe
bel who denounced banker ant
killed him, we have never punished ;
gentleman in Kentucky. The result
is an armed community, with an occa
sional outbreak of mob law. Thu
Government of Russia is said 10 bC
absolutism, tempered by assassination
In Kentucky we have the reign of thu
murderer, checked only by fear o
mob law.-LOuisville Post.
Will Not Go.