The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-06-06
JUDICIAL GUILT

Lawyers and judges often express
surprise over the evidently growing dis
trust by the American public of the
courts. This distrust is, by per cent
of the legal fraternity, attributed 10 the
newspapers, more especially is it laid
at the door of the editorial writer. With
all their trained keennesS of perception
they fail Of experimenting the real rea-
son, refuse to understand that justice is
seldom longer equal as between
the corporate power and the individual,
to see that trusts are protected by de-
cisionS rendered upon technical grounds
In which the real issues of the case are
Intentionally ignored. and that, no mat
ter how great or fragrant the crime, if
the individual who commits it can
command money and political influence
there is little danger of his suffering
the penalty prescribed by the law. 1t is
not only the laws delay but the puSil-
lanimity and instability of courts, high
and low. combined with the tricks and
subterfugeS of the bar. which is a part
of every court. that causes this increas-
Ing distrust of the people. The papers
are filed with accounts of the miscar-
rage of justice. from one years end to
the other. The posSeSsors of the sur
plus incomes from extravagant wealth.
In this country. did not choose to COM
ply with an act of the supreme legislat-
i've power uf the land the congress OF
the United States To avoid the pen
alties of the law, they directed their sal
Rried attorneys 10 break down the en-
actment in the United States supreme
court. This was promptly done. that
body listening 10 and considering tech
meal suggestions of the bar and of far
fetched propositions. undreamed of by
the congress. and unheard Of by the
people, and upon which the will of the
people was finally overthrown, no two
of these eminent judges agreeing TO any
one decision as a whole. only major
ity of one favoring a single technical
ity which in effect annulled. in a doubt
full way. the solemn act of congress.
Later, and only a few days since. the
head Of the most powerful trust in the
land. and the second greatest in the
world. desiring to conceal facts which
affect every citizen of the land. refused
10 answer questions put 10 him by con
greSs. in which refusal he was sustain
ed by court. leaving that representa-
tive body of the people utterly power
less TO demonstrate that national law
had been violated. leaving the money
king superior 10 both congress and the
people. AS the higher courts are in
clined to sustain the findings and ac-
tons Of the lower courts. and as the
superior courts are in turn ruled by the
leaders of their bars. criminals with
money go unwhipped of justice and the
faith Of the people fails. hence mobs
and lynchings in the execution Of the
demands of justice as 10 the criminal.
and eXecrations as 10 the lawyers and
maladministration and legal outrage.
with a technical excuse for support.
take the case of Durrant. the San Fran
cisco fiend. Every supposable techui-
cality having been exhausted 10 protect
his hypocritical life and postpone The
legal breaking of his criminal neck. he
was after two years of tedious delays
finally sentenced TO be executed next
Friday Our yesterday mornings dis
patches announce that his lawyers had
discovered still an additional legal
CROCHET, founded on some technical
precedent. hot understood by the people.
whereby we are assured THAI his lie