The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-09-27
SUSTAINING THE Law
Nm, View Of thc Aerion Of sheriff Martin
And His Deputies NJ thr IIaLls'on RIOT


Nm. View of the AeIion of sheriff Martin
And III. Depmiirs NJ thr IiaIlsion RIOT
Harpers Weekly; The highest males
-, IN this country is the law, In prlncl-
,Ie the law is absolute, and disobedi-
enee is hostility. sometimes treason, to
,be state. I, IS true that there are laws
winch It Is difficult, II not impossible, to
enforce, because they are opposed to
rubio sentiment. The existence of
such laws Is consequently contrary to
the weli-being Of the community, for
the mere fact that they are not obeyed
works injury to all laws, II is true, also
that laws are human, and therefore
likely 90 be imperfect, but they are
nevertheless the result OF the best IN
diligence that we devote TO the business
NJ government Their enforcement, at
nll events, Is essential 10 the malnte-
nance ot the general and the local gov
srnments; and this is especially true Of
,he laws which are made for the protec-
lion Of individuals and At the commu-
rlty Itself against acts of violence, Re-
elstance to the law, insistence upon the
superiority OF Individual or mob will or
rassIon to the law, is one Of the gFavest
crimes that can be committed, Indeed
II is the basis of all crime. and II is as
much graver In republic than Is the
assassination OF the head OF the state In
n monarchy as the law itself, which Is
the expression of the minds of those
who are both the rulers and the ruled,
Is OF more Importance than any man.
whether he be king or private citizen.
This ought to be trlte, but we regret
% saw that II Is not In this country, and
mat the history Of the summer that has
inst ended Is filled with instances show
mo that the law and Its administrators
are treated with contempt In more than
one state IN the usIon The murders
that have been colSnltted by mobs, the
charge OF the Kentucky Judge, and the
4nFu6fcfaus remarks OF the governor OF
West Virginia, justlfyIng an injured
husband in the killing Of his wlfe's par
amour are not only sad blemishes on
our civilization. but they indicate
state Of the public mind which is dis
tInctly hostile not only to the well-beln6
hut TO the existence OF republican lnstl-
tut!ons. The mobs that have escaped
punishment, the communities that
have sustained them, the newspapers
that have applauded them, this dis
graceful Judge and this indseFeet gover+
nor, have laid violent hands upon the
sacred majesty OF the law; and II such
Urea souable practices are to continue
and to become universal, government
must come to an end, and the order of
civilization must give way to the dis
order Of savagery.
The weak point In the system of gov
eminent where such crimes are com
mitted Is not usually IN the law itself,
but In Its administration The trouble
IS that the officers charged with the en-
foruement Of the law dread too much
the adverse sentiments of the voters to
stand up against them when 1t is their
duty Ia do go, The sheriff Of Luzerne
county. In Pennsylvania therefore af-
fords striking aud refreshInG illustra-
ton NJ virtues that elsewhere have been
conspruously absent The killing and
woundIng Of the striking miners and
their allies are most deplorlhlc, The
strikers were on their way to induce or
to compoI other worEmen to ioin them,
The stories as to the origin of the fatal
hlctirg. but in considering the attitude
Of the sheriff and his deputies they are
not controlling, Sheriff Martin thought
that the men were not On q peaceful
mission. He had evidence that they
had preD9red themselves with arms for
hostile demonstrations and that they
hal compelled reluctant men to Join
Their ranlSs Tie not only had the right,
I,tN H. 4, iH It,NN aVaN h.a f,p
nation OF a rotous mob to dlsperse II
after 1t had been formed, ard to prevent
at all hazards the consumnation 81 It's
purpose The final question IN such n
ease as this Is one Of Judgment Did
the circumstances existing 1t the mo-
ment OF the firing by the deputies justi-
~ the officers Of the law In resorting to
the-last extremity? And in answering
this question a wide latitude must be
accorded 10 the men on the spot, whose
lives we're possibly Involved in the con-
CIusion at which they might arrive. At
oil events. this much Is true The sheriff
as peace officer OF the county. was
charged with a duty which he under
took ia perform, and that his perform
Hnce of It was courageous will be
doubted by no one who has read any OF
lUN NAblltS Va Nilth lbpHFllfiF W lFNlltl
coming from the deputies OF from the
fsnteTs.
The mob started from Ha2leton to
persuade the miners OF Lattlmcr to quit
their work There was evidence that
they Intended to accomplish their object
by violence II they could not succeed by
peaceable means They became rioters
at the start by tarcihly compelling men
At tt,.t. L.. tl,A L.
preceding the march to Lattlmcr, which
took place on the afternoon of Septem-
Der 10. the strikers. who went out Origl-
naliy In sympathy with some stable
boys who had n grievance against the
superintendent Of one of the nelghbOr-
hood mines, had more than once been
guilty OF murderous assault, The sher-
If, therefore, regarded the mob as riot
ers, and he warned them not TO march
on the highway, They lett the highway
and went across the fields, but entered
the road again at a point which the
sheriff and his deputies had reached be-
fore them, having FASTENED there on
trolley cars. Again the sheriff ordered
the mob to stop, reading them the riot
act. They refused 20 obey the law. and
assaulted him Thereupon the deputies
fired into the crowd, killing score OF
the rioters, mostly HunGarians, we are
informed, aud woundng many others
Whether command to fire was given
Is doubtful
The sheriff was acting In obedience to
the law The rioters were violating the
law Did the sherlf's deputies fire be-
fore It |ss absolutely necessary? The
question Is so close that the doubt must
-
holding the law The mob must show
that the laws which they were breaking
we're TOO vigorously enforced; and all
Including the newspapers and clergy
mon who are crying out against Sher-
In Martin tyhp nggIfpp I'm "a fVungn that