The record-union., 1897-09-21
VOICE OF THE PRESS.
EXTRACTS FROM EDITORIAL
EXPRESSION.
State and Coast Opinions on Sub
jects Of Living News
Interest.

MERGED Sun: The goldbug organs are
now shouting frantically about the
large number Of mortgages that are
being satisfied in various parts Of the
United States. This may be q sign OF
prosperity, and It may not. There are
two ways of satisfying a mortgage. One
is to pay it off, and doubtless tins Is
being done by numerous farmers III
the wheat producing sections. Anoth-
CT way is for the mortgage to fore
close and take the property, and doubt
less this is being done by numerous
holders Of mortgages in manufacturing
center sand in such agricultural sec
tons as did not produce a good wheat
or corn crop.
RAISE IN PRICES.
Reno Gazette: Wheat, corn. rye, po-
tatoes, butter, cheese, eggs, meat and
cotton. nine of the greatest farm
products have advanced in price since
the Dingley bin became a law. at from
u to 40 per cent, the average belng
% per cent. for the whole. If we re
member rightly there was promise
made last year that in the event Of
the election of Mckinley these products
would rise in value. These agricul-
tural products Of the United States are
to-day. pound for pound and bushel
for bushel, worth four hundred NIL
lion dollars. more than they were
when that great Democrat and re-
former Grover Cleveland was in pow
er, one year ago
THE VERSAILLES LYNCHINGS.
Los Angeles Times: One crime
erly punished by the commission
of other crimes a person under ar
rest. accused of crime in any form, is
entitled by law and in common justice
to an impartial trial. He is entitled
to fair opportunity to defend himself
against such accusations as are made.
and if he can establish his innocence
he is entitled to acquittal 1t not
infrequently happens that the wrong
person is arrested. and it would mani
testify be a double injustice and a
grave wrong to punish the innocent
for the crimes of the guilty.
Courts are maintained for the pur-
pose of administering justice; for as
certainfng the true facts. in all cases
which come before them, by competent
evidence: for protecting the innocent
and for melting out punishment to the
guilty.
When citizens take the law into
their own hands, and usurp the func-
tons of Judge. jury and executionef
they are guilty of a grave violation OF
law. The ends of justice are defeated,
respect fer the law is lessened, and
the constitutional rights Of every citi-
zen are menaced.
The tragedy at Versailles, Ind, in
which five men accused of crime were
lynched, was in every sense a de-
plorable affair. and a disgrace to the
State in which it occurred. But While
these lynchings We're without moral
or legal justification, it appears from
the statement of the case in the dis
patches that. they were not without
provocation. The community in and
about Versailles had for a long time
been terrorized by the depredatiOns of
thieves and burglars. Women had
been subjected to gross indignities in
isolated localities, and in numerous
instances the perpetrators of these out
RACES had escaped punishment through
legal technicauties and bubbles. EX-
asperated by the laws delays and
shortcomings the people took the law
into their own hands. They deliber-
ately planned an assault upon the
Jail. and executed their plans with ter
rible effectiveness. leaving five corpses
dangling from the limbs Of trees in
the public square as a souvenir of their
midnight visitation.
The lesson of this tragedy, and of
others similar to it. is obvious. 1t
was the direct outcome Of the too lax
enforcement of the laws. If the laws
provided for the punishment of crime
had been sternly enforced, the Yer
vaiues lynchings would not have oc-
Cured. There is a point where for
bearance ceases to be a virtue, and
that point was evidently reached and
passed before the Versailles mob es-
saved its deadly work.
HAD A SURFEIT.