Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-02-22
ings and instructions make that.iold
commonwealth .'the dark and bloody

lngS and instructions make thatsOlIl
commonwealth ''the dark and bloody
ground"
But another question comes up
Whence and why this lawlessness !? y Is
there anything in the Kentucky At,
mosphere to account for it? Or are
there deadly bacili hidden in the body
polite that give rise to this trouble?
We think there is, a cause, existing all
over the country, found in every state
in the union, but specially potent IN
the land of Clay, Breckenridge aud
Goebel. What is that cause? A public
sentiment that tolerates personal
Arrangement. In every country and
community wrongs and injuries are
met with, perhaps insults are encounl-
cred What is to be done? May the
wronged person undertake the redress
of his own injuries? Shall he assume
the Office of judge and jury and exc
cutioner? Good citizens in Kentucky
and elsewhere with one accord say
mo" Such procedure is wrong, ,lB-
christian and uncivillzed, and not to be
tolerated. But bad citizens and those
of unrestrained temper, and the adj
mirers of brute courage and worship
pers at the shrine of honor, say YES
We will take care of ourselves. Insult
or injury we will repel instantly. Who
ever casts imputation upon our YER
acity or our courage does so at Ills
peril.
There are regions where children at
school are taught TO act upon this
principle. They are taught the cour-
age of the bull dog, beastly and saw
age, while the moral courage which
practices self-control and dares to do
right is ignored.
Kentucky has had great statesmen,
eminent as lawyers. and eNpounde~s
of the constitution. Yet some of these
have been duelis1s. They claimed that
mo man should be deprived of life,
liberty or property without due pro-
cess of law" and yet upon the "feld
of honor" with deadly weapons aud
with deadly aim, sought to revenge
some real or supposed insult. The IN
fuence and example of the Sage of
Ashland has undoubtedly had some
thing to do with the recent troubles.
The, illiterate smountaineers have their
share of responsibility, but. the greater
share belongs tota large class of better
informed people,, who. are. proud of
Kentucky, and proud of Henry Clay,
and proud of their courage.
In earlier days this sentiment gave
rise to the regular fstic encounter.
made it sometimes necessity, and
gave it a rude responsibility. Then fire
arms came IN play, gradually intro
duced, carried almost universally, more
polished and more deadly. The weak
er parties in these encounters and the
surviving friends of. the fallen resort
to assassination. They bide their time,
and in, the night or from concealmeat
by the roadside, they take their re-
venge.
This vengeful sentiment and con-
tempt for all law, human and divine,
gets into politics. Our party must be
in the ascendent at whatever cost!
The opposing party must go down by
fair means of FOUL
Ii such troubles are to be avoided we
must get back to first principles. The
laws must be impartially and vigorous.
ly enforced. The carrying ofYdeadly
fire arms must be repressed. The ne
dress Of personal injuries belongs abb
soautely to the state and not to the
individual Any other ctrinerleaas
to violence and anarchy.