Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-05-27
THAT FARCE.
Tennessee's Chief Justice Acquitted but
Not indicated. The Press Says for
Him to Continue in Office Is an Insult

Him to Continue in Office Is an Insult
to the Peace and Dignity Okthe State.
The acquital of Chief Justice Snod.
grass, on his trial for murderous as
SAUL on Lawyer Beasley at Chuttanoo.
ga, was the third and final act of q
drama which will long be remembered
to the discredit of the State judiciary.
IL appears that the case turned upon
the point offered in the defense by
Snodgrass, that he believed himself to
be in danger of his life after he had
slapped Beasley, because the latter
made u motion as If TO draw a pistol.
Another man who witnessed the affair
testified that Beasley thrust his right
hand behind him and under his coat.
1t is only necessary to consider the
the plain facts in the case to under.
stand how outrageous was the conduct
of the Chief Justice and how fragrant
Is the disregard of justice in the YER
dict. This defendant is the head of
the court of final resort in Tennessee.
His voice Is potential in sending men
to the penitentiary for murder com.
plete. He Is under solemn oath to OBJ.
serve the laws; he is under a moral OBJ
legation not less binding upon honor
able men in his position, to set an tx.
ample of obedience to authority. Yet,
in brutal disregard of all such re-
%straints, he forced a personal difficulty
on a citizen, assaulted him and then
used a deadly weapon upon him, with
intent to take his life. And what did
the other man do? Why, he made a
motion toward his hip pocket''-and
that moldy old chestnut which has
served the turn of 80 many cruel muir.
derers before the friendly Jury,
proved sufficient to ave this man, who
failed of being a murder only because
his aim was bad.
If Chief Justice Snodgrass had been
given by nature any sense OF the pro-
prieties he would long since have re.
signed his office; and even if naturally
destitute of such a sense 1t would seem
that his long association with men who
possessed it should have supplied the
deficiency to some extent. 1t appears.
however, that he has no proper con-
ception of the dignity and primal duty
OF his position, either native or ac-
quired.
This ~discredited Judge goes back to
the bench from the scene of his win.
dication." He will continue to con
denim his fellow men doing Just " hat
he has done. He will continue to bear
the title of Chief Justice and to draw
the salary appertaining to the office.
This is probably all that Gun appeal to
the Snodgrass nature Memphis Sciul-
itar.
The Chief Justice of Tennessee ought
to resign from his exalted position. Ac-
cording to his own evidence he put his
pistol In his pocket the morning that
he shot Beasley. This man Snodgrass
knew that be was violating the laws of
Tennessee, for he vas incensed against
a man. Yet as a man occupying the
office of Chief Justice he does not hest
tate to violate law. For him to con-
tinue is an insult to the peace and dig
nifty OF the State. Every paper in the
State ought to take up the fight and
continue it until the disgraced Chief
Justice resigns. Hartman Progress.
ISnodgrass, the citizen, and not Snod.
fhd IuxA.xa - !. -
case. In this sense his conviction or
acquital was of no more importance
to the public than that OF any other de-
PENDANT.
II Judge S~nodgrass were a private
citizen he might be forgiven for his
rashness, under the mitigating circum.
stances which he claims, and the cor.
sequences of his violation of the pistol
law would be of comparatively little
Importance, but so long as he holds the
position of Chief Justice he brings con.
tempt upon the law in the eyes of the.
whole State, even under the most
charitable construction of his acts.
Thus 1t will be seen that tho public
has a right to demand his resigna-
ton from the high position that he
holds, irrespective of the question of his
guilt or innocence in the case just clos
ed. This is the position that we took
at the beginning of the trouble and we
have never seen any reason for chang
ing it.
The common people do not draw fine
legal distinctions. They demand that
the man who holds the lofty position of
Chief Justice shalt be above suspicion
of breaking the laws of which he is the
chief exponent. If there is any doubt
about his guilt the doubt will be con
strued against him and it will serve as
excuse for all violators of the statutes.
There is only one way by which he can
atone for his rash act, restore respect
for the judiciary of the State and set
himself right before the people who
have bestowed upon him the most
honorable position in their gift. That
way is to esign.-Cbattanooga News.