The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1900-06-09
COMMUNICATED.
A Correspondent Threatens TO Call
Things by their Proper Names.

Mr.. Editor-Taking the reports
of the grand jury and the court
as a criterion, one would suppose
that there was not to be found
under the broad canopy Of heaven
strip of territory where the peo-
pie were of more peaceful or
| faw-a -biding disposition. We are
surprised that the good people of
other localities do not stumble
over each other in their attempt
to get here and locate. Just
think of it, six days. in session, ,and
the gland jury found nine true
bills, or an average of one and
one half bills per day. The court
did trifle better; it succeeded in
finding a few guilty, turning out
a number on probation, and con-
tinuing the balance until next term
Such is the. record of last week S
term of court. An expensive
luxury, wasn't it? We have
known other grand juries to find
over fifty billsrin the same length
of time. As for the court there
was time when it required money
or influence to get out of court
sscrape, bnt neither is needed any
klonger except to the poorest
Ewhite trash and niggers. 1t may
be argued that the state of affairs
prevailing in Hancock county to-
day is not as bad as formerly,
hence the reason why fewer bills
are found. Stuff! There may not
be as much shooting, fighting and
scrapping, generally speaking, as
in days gone by, but there are
Fother violations more prevalent
now by five hundred per cent than
at any other time in the history
of the county violations that are
so glaring in their aspects that we
deem'it unnecessary to iterate their
nature. But if the same order of
things continue much longer, we.
are going to call ''things by their
right name" and hew to the line,
regardless of where the chips
fall. If the law breakers can ply
their trade of perdition with i'm
punity, those who disapprove of
their nefarious practices are enti-
tied to some consideration to say
the least, as it is an established
precedent that the minority has
right to enter their protest. If
the danger laid in the direction of
one particular violation only,
there would not be as great
cause for complaint, that is, ad-
mltting that the man who breaks
the law should be allowed greater
privileges than the man of decen-
cy;but when one particular kind of
violation is allowed to go on un-
molested-nay more, morally en-
couraged, 1t makes others of a
more serious character possible.
In other words, its influence is so
far reaching that everyone feels,
in manner, carried by the tide;
leaving the entire community in
a helpless condition. Well-think-
ing people admit that something
ought to be done, but none, not
even those who have held their
hand to high heaven promising to
uphold the law and dignity of the
State of Mississippi, dare utter one
word of condemnation, It is not
our purpose at present to fix the
blame at any point, as we believe
there are various causes for the
existing state of affairs. First of
all, just as long as men will swal-
low an oath as long as bean pole
and lie outrageously, just so long
will it be impossible to reach the
law breaker. Again, when men
sit in the jury box, having taken
an oath to render a verdict ac-
cordlng to law and evidence, and
reach a verdict instead by way of
their own questionable judgment,
just so long again is the holding
of our court going to prove farce.
The most serious mistake of
| grand juries in the past, has been
to call before them for the pur-
pose of investigating into the vio-
lations of law, an element Of men
from whom they could expect not
hings but perjury;but if they would
take the trouble for once, TO sum-
mon some of our high toned men
who strut the streets Of Bay St.
Louis, before them, shoot a double
barreled oath through their ana
tony, and ask them where they get
their "booze", and in what guam
titles, we would see then whether
they would have the courage to be
men or perjurers. All the wrong,
however, does not rest with the
| iuries alone for these men believe
that they are carrying out the man
dates, not of the law but of public
sentiment. The men mostly to
blame are the men behind the
guns. The men after whom less
fortunate mortals copy, believing
as they do that everything these men
dois right. Others may hold differ
ent views withour own on the sub
iect. but it is our candid opinion
that out town and country have
never received proper recognition
! because of the fact that we seem
to think one-third the laws enact
ed in our State are detrimental
to our welfare, consequently we
are looked upon by the people of
other portions of the State as a
community of infringers upon the
Elaw. May the day be near at
hand when we shall no longer en-
courage them in that belief.
:. J. a. MAUFFRAT.