The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1899-09-23
Are We Living In A Land of
Law and Order?

homes twice likes foxes from their hid
ing places, upon the pre:ext. 1 under
stand, that they have broken the COM
mandment, Thou shalt not steal.
know nothing as to the truth or falsity
Of the accusation, / am no apOlogist for
either petty or grand larceny. but If
every one who has cheated, robbed or
wronged his fellowman in some way
driven from his domicile there would
be many deserted homes in st. Martin
parish. Gilded rascality committed in
open day light is as infamous as theft
perpetrated during the dark hours Of
night. There are right in our midst
daily violations of decency in the break
ing Of the seventh commandment which
far surpasses in turpitude, for they pol
lutte the youthful mind, the stealing Of a
whole drove Of cattle and a herd of
swine. aud yet no one has been made to
leave home on that account, by threats
Of perforating his body with leader bull
lets il he failed to make hasty steps. It
Is one Of the incomprehensible facts
which proves mans Inconsistency, that
some crimes by their shocking immen-
sitv seem to silence criticism. while
those Of far less magnitude incite bitter
denunciation and hostile action.
II those men who have been forced to
fOrsake home and family have sinned
against honesty to such an extent as to
justify being hunted with shOt-guns
and rifles at the peril of their lives, it
appears that there ought to be no diff
Guilty in furnishing them by law. This
kind Of mob-law-driving people from
their homes by threats of murderous
violence is dangerously demoralizing to
society at large; II tolerated without
condemnation and opposition how temp
ting 1t becomes for clique through pri-
vate malice to perpetrate Outrages upon
the inOffensively weak. This kind Of
proceeding-driying those helpless peo-
pie from their homes by irresistible
numbers Is Of the kind that started the
James boys on their career of crime,
and personal vengeance is what caused
the feuds in Kentucky which almost
wiped out entire families, and even now
those deadly strifes are filling newly
made graves. There are enough of the
family who are being chased like wild
animals, il they are driven to despera-
tion and their kindred should espouse
their cause to make 1t decidedly uncom-
Portable for some of those who have I'M
dertaken to abolish thieving from st.
Martin parish by driving from home
some who are charged with stealing. As
a warning the first compulsion to leave
might be overlooked; but after their re.
turn. following several months absence,
they should have been allowed to re-
main at home to gather their crops, for
doubtless their late experience taught
them that honesty is the best policy,
under the circumstances at least, II not
always to their way of thinking; but
they must have found out that poor
man cannot afford to steal-it is only
the rich and a favored Jew that are per-
mitted that privilege. I have already
heard 1t suggested without any names
being called, that probably sellshness is
playing her heartless part In this affair
that the eyes Of cOvetonslless are rest
ing upon some good land which one of
these reputed undesirable citizens pos.
sesses. 1t is to be hoped for the sake of
human nature that no such Odious mo-
tive is takisg part in this lawless pro-
ceeding. Even il this suspicion be un.
founded, it shows how one act Of un-
charitableness begets another; thus We
see that wrong doing is self propagating.
The just, fair-minded and unprejudiced
people ought to try to get justice done
those self-made unfortunates. I can
conceive Of life of immortality that is
daily parading itself before the public
conduct that would tend to corrupt the
Youthful mind. which would justify the
driving Of those leading it to the con-
fines Of perdition; but when the offence
is Invested of daily communicating in
fluences. and is easily reached by law
the courts are the proper tribunals to
deal with such offences. You, of the
shotgun and rife brigade, let those
wrong doors return to their homes and
for they have suffered enough,
remembering that ITO err Is human, to
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