New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-12
Az INVITATION TO MURDER.

The Repubcans of West Virginia are GER
,alnly entitled TO the sympathy or the whoie
country They have elected Il Governor only 40
find him taking pattern from the worst eXain-
pies Of the Bourbon civilization which 'hey
have sought TO eradicate for quarter OF a
century. one Of the cardinal principles or Ke-
publicansm Is respect for law ana opposition
10 all forms of private feud ana mon rule. 1el
Governor Atkinson has made himself the ON
clal champion of the right Of individual ven
ge1nce and private execution of the death pen
atty.
He has lust RENTED a fine of 500 imposed
Oh w. = HINES for shooting ana seriously
woundlng Benjamin Hall because Hall has sup
planted him in the affections of his wife. In
his memorandum on the case Governor Akin
son INDUCES in such language as this: "Ihe
only regret in the matter is that HINES did not
kill Hall. He ought To have done so. lie tried
Ito do So but his pistol missed fire. He shot
''the Scoundrel four times. hut unfortunately
did not Kill him." Then. after characterHng
Hall in terms which are wholly inappropriate TO
a State document. and declaring that he ought
TO be imprisoned for life, the Governor com
mendS HINES for all his actions except that
"he should have practised with revolver or
double bamelled shotgun, so that when he
made the attempt he would have brought Hall
down" If this is not official counsel to delib-
crate murder it is difficult TO know where to look
for it, The Governor of State not only RENTS
a small nominal fine inflicted on a man for in
turing another in revenge for private wrong.
but goes further and complains that he did not
20 about II with more deliberate and murderous
intent
Governor Atkinson plumes himself upon the
assumption that his view Is that Of the man of
chivalry. with blood in his veins. He perhaps
quotes TO himself the bad precedent Of the Ken
lucky iudc4 WHO recently Endorsed murder when
committed in retaliation for an offence against
the home and regards the undoubted popular
sentiment against Furnishing crimes of this char
acter as justification for his official declaration
of "unwritten law" But any such defence
misses the meaning of executive authority in
a constitutional State. Governor Atkinson was
not elected 10 pick ont from the community tle
scoundrels who Ought 10 die. He was elected
10 enforce law and when he makes himself the
champion of laWlessness he fails in his sworn
duty The provocatiOn of Hines or the worth
lessness of Hall is of 10 significance. They
might possibly affect the question Of pardon,
but could not justify the wholesale invitation
to murder
This remarkable memorandum Is nothing but
wholesale invitation to murder and In that
| lies It's evil significance. Every jealous hus-
band in West Virginia VIII be encouraged TO
hasty shooting without stopping to prove his
| grievance or consider consequences. No one
| will deny that there are wrongs in human so
| cicty which law lnadequately meets. But also
no one viii deny that individual human nature
| left 10 Itself 10 ayeDQe these wrongs Youl1 IN
vove society IN savagery. Civilization means
| the suppression Of private vengeance and il is
the business Of executive authority 10 discour-
! age appeals 20 violence There will always be
| violence enough at the hest and the official who
! deliberately fans the fame of passion and re-
vengc works to make himself q leader Of bar
| barians. The South has been too long dis
| gracod by the code Of The Ku Kux and the
! bushwhacker and il IL sad AT the dawn of a
| desire for better order TO the Governor Of a