The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-17
Fair TrIaI-No Fear, No Favor.

Fair TrIal-NO Fear, NO FaVoT-
Nobody can find fault with this alterna-
tive which the Evening Journal in an
editorial yesterday presented to the Grand
Jury
Either the Evening Journal should be
indicted for libel or the two lawyers VINO
conspired to secure a bride to defeat Inc
ends of Justice should be indicted.
No doubt, the Journal will eheerfully
concede that if it's charges are false and
libellous. it's editors and managers should
be severely punished. Everyone else will
concede that if Messrs. Noonan and Simp-
son are guilty as charged, State Prison is
too good for them. 1t is on account OF
the cheerful assent all around to these
propositions that there was general dis
appointment on Wednesday at
seemed to be the resistance on the part
of the Journals managing editor to a
thorough investigation. Yesterday, how
ever. the journal announced that 1t
would not obstruct the course OF justice
and would today present its witnesses
before the Grand Jury.
While deprecating in set terms any at
tempt to make political capital out OF It's
exposure of Messrs. Noonan and Simp-
sons methods, the journal in the edit
oriaI, from which we quote above, ap-
pears to make a left-lianded attempt to
connect these two men with the Demo-
cratic organization in this county. 1t
tries to- create the impression hat the
organization or some of its leaders Will
try to protect the accused men from the
-onsequenc of their alleged crime IN
some Illegal and improper way.
we can see, at present, no reason to
believe that this innuendo is Justified. we
certainly hope that it is not and that 1t
will not be in the future. 1t is an un-
happy fact that both men are Democrats
and office holders, but when they went
into office they were of good-eyen OF
high repute, and until the journal made
its charges there was no suspicion OF any
thing worse thar ordinary indiscretions
attaching to their names. For the crimes
of which they are accused, therefore,
sven though they be proven guilty, De-
mocracy and the Democratic ganiz
ton are in no way answerable. Indeed,
the party and its leaders and it's honest
members are the victims of the crime in
a special way, being the sufferers through
abuse of their confidence.
This being the case, there is no conceiy-
able reason why the party power or IN
fuence should be exerted in any way TO
shelter the alleged criminals. 1t is Rot
bound to them by loyalty or policy. On
the contrary, if they are guilty, it's place
is ON the side Of the prosecutions; its voice
should be raised for justice of the stern
est degree. For the party to take their
crimes upon itself and to attempt to car
~ the load into a hostile Legislature and
into a dubious State election, would De a
folly and an offence against good morals
of an unspeakable degree.
By this, we do not mean that their per-
sonal friends should turn their backs on
these wretched men in the hour of their
misfortune. 1t is the duty of those who
have been their intimates to suspend
Judgment until the law has searched and
decided the merits of the cases, and it is
the duty of these intimates to secure for
the accused every advantage that the law
affords. Noonan and Simpson should lack
neither lawyers to speak for them nor
money to conduct an effectual defence.
This is the duty of friendship in such
cases, and this is it's limit: To afford the
accused every possible instantaneous
sistent with law and honor,-to clear
themselves; but to stop strictly within the
bounds of honesty and legality, to offer no
obstacles save such as legal procedure
provides to the swift and thorough inves-
tigation of the charges. and to oppose
no obstruction to the execution of such
Judgment as the courts may reach.
The course which this Noonan-Simpson
trouble should naturally follow in its fu-
ture progress is easy enough to men
tally construct. If the Journal pro-
duces Sufficient evidence in supper of it's
charges to constitute a prima facie case,
an indictment hould be promptly found,
and then 1t should be brought to trial
with the greatest expedition reconciieable
with the light of the defendants counsel
to full preparation of their case. II the
journal fails to submit evidence, the in
dictment of Colonel Phelps. Mr.. Dear,
Mr.. Rappelye and Messrs. Pidgeon and
Beck, and their trial should be equally
prompt.
Let there be no fear or favor in either
direction in this business. Let us have
justice. -
ST. John's Chnrch and It's Pastor.
Tho Rev. E. L: Stoddard is in many
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