Chicago eagle., 1900-08-25
j. n. WOOD,
Chairman Of the Grand Army Arrangements Committee.

stricken down not because he was q
bad or unpopular ruler, but merely be-
cause he was ruler. 1t Is Idle to think
of reasoning with those who are capa-
bic Of such deeds. whether they act
wholly as individuals or as members Of
murderous leagues. 1t Is useless to At
tempt to reason with man who does
not know that authority cannot be as
sassinated by assassinating those who
exercise authority. Man Is social be-
ing. Whenever even few men are
thrown together they spontaneously
organize and in one way or another
That Is human nature. 1t IL 20 more
possible to destroy government than 1t
Is to destroy the race. Those who need
to be told this are not amenable to rea-
son. The welfare of society demands
their determination. But everywhere
some are to be found who rebel against
authority and are incapable Of perceiv-
ing the force Of reason. These persons
are actuated by impulse and passion.
Resentlng proper restraint, without
self.control. they are ready to be in
cited to some homicidal net by any In
fiammatory appeal. This ought to be
known TO people who assume to teach
from the platform and through the
press and who are supposed to be req.
sonable men. Such men are not to be
excused when they indulge In lnfiam-
| Thav Iasnrc-
Ing Of the severest censure BECAUSE
they know that when they suggest the
assassination Of those In authority as
remedy for wrongs. imaginary or
real. their real suggestion may send
some man Of dlsordered brain forth
upon murderous mission. Free
speech and free press are sacred. but
he who abuses either assumes q fearful
responsibility and Is more to be GEN.
sured than the Unbalanced wretch who
by his malignant utterances Is fired to
bloody deeds.
| The acquittal Of Alexander Jester,
charged with the murder OF Gilbert
Gates. may or may not have been JUS
titled by the evidence. II there was a
mistake, however, II was on the side
OF mercy. and few people will be dis.
posed to crtlcse the verdict. The Jury
evidently preferred to give Jester the
benefit Of the doubts which naturally
arose from the circumstances surround.
ing the peculiar case. As one Of the
jurymen said: Thirty years IL a long
| time to remember trifies. 1t was not
possible. upon circumstantial evidence.
to send an old man TO the gallOws after
such lapse OF time" That was un-
doubtedly the feeling Of the jury. They
distrusted the recollection Of the wit.
nesses. but II was undoubtedly the long
period which elapsed between the mur-
der and the trial Of Jester which had
the greatest Influence In making up
their decision. 1t may be doubted
whether they would have brought In q
verdict OF guilty had the evidence been
direct and positive instead of purely
circumstantial. Jester himself, accord.
ing to courtroom gossip, had devised a
unique defense. Conceding-which he
did not--that he killed young Gates. he
maintained that the Jester of to-day
was not the Jester Of 1871 who did the
killing. He contended that mans
whole make.up-physical. mental and
moral-changes every seven years.
Hence. Alexander Jester Is to all in
tents and purposes but 7 years old. To
hang him for killing Gates thirty years
ago would be TO punish him for the sin
OF man who ceased to exist In 1878.
Or course this theory, while having
some slight foundation In medical sci
ence, Is altogether untenable when ap.
piled to criminal responsibility, or to
any OF the important relations OF life.
II accepted II would create q sort OF
statute Of limitations, behind which
all sOrts Of evildoers could shelter
themselves. 1t would revolutiOnize So
ciety. Nevertheless 1t was unquestlOn-
ably the spirit OF this plea which infu-
enced the jury very largely. The the
ory was not proposed by testers coun-
sci. but the jury tacitly took cOgnizance
OF It, The jurymen did not have any
specific number Of years In mind, but.
consciously or uncOnsci0usly, they
argued that Jester is not the same man
to-day that he was thirty years ago.
People who like to speculate upon de-
grees OF. moral responsibility will find
testers theory interesting. but In the
meantime 1t will not be safe for men
charged with murder to rely upon 1t
too confidently. 4 lapse Of seven years
will not be enough. Even thirty years
might prove insufficient In another case
like TESTERS.