The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1901-03-07
Written for The Prison Mirror.

THE State of Connecticut does
not occupy much space upon
j the national map, but small as
it is, it is noted for a few
things that are remarkable. Who ever
thinks of the little plot of ground but
that his mind does not revert to the
good old blue laws and of witchcraft,
of Yale college, patent rights and rat
traps? 1t is also remarkable for its
fanatics and freaks; but the late ut
terances of Simon E. Baldwin, Judge
of the state judiciary, is the most re-
markable thing that the state has given
birth to.
This learned antediluvian fossil of
the Connecticut Bar Association, in
the course of lecture delivered by
him some time ago-in speaking of
the criminal class-had this to say:
"The world has heard quite enough
of the rights of man. What it needs is
to hear more of the rights of God.
May it not also need to look with
greater care into the rights of society
No man can be convicted of crime in
an American court except on proof so
strong as to exclude any reasonable
doubt as to his guilt"
One of the most absurd customs of
the people is to hold in reverence and
awe everything that is elevated to the
judicial chair in our courts. Every
sentence of jumbled words forming a
decision or ruling is supposed to be
the very highest oracle of wisdom, in
fallible in every respect.
Judges are responsible for some of
the greatest mistakes that have ever
been made. PLATE as judge con-
demned Christ to travel over the cobble-
stones of Jerusalem, carrying his cross
on the way to his death. Socrates was
condemned to drink the fatal hemlock,
by a judicial mis6t. Galileo was con-
signed to dungeon by his Honor on
the bench, and the bloody Jeffries of
England as a judge is foul blot in
English history and England would
give untold gold if she could but erase
it from her record. Even. from the
learned Simon's own nutmeg state,
judges of old condemned to the stake
helpless women and burned with fire
those who, in their great judicial abil-
ity, they termed as witches.
Is decision or judgment to be ac-
cepted as just, because it is the final
word of justice as administered by
men? If the Judge is wrong and the
Judiciary fallible, does it not render his
judgment unjust? How many men
occupying a safety vault in the cell
house tonight know anything about a
doubt that was to form and have such
weighty consideration by the jury in
their case in rendering verdict? How
many jurors, especially in the state of
Minnesota, are capable of understand
ing his Honor when charging the jury
and bringing in that old chestnut of rea-
sonable doubt? A doubt is to hesitate,
to distrust; reasonable, is to be gov
erned by reason, to be just. Do you
suppose for moment that these def
nitions of doubt and reasonable are ex-
ercised in any manner by that element
from which County Commissioners
generally make up their jury list? 1t
seems the more ignorance that is dis
played by grand or petit juror, the
more suitable he is to the court in
criminal trial cases.
1t is bold assertion for any one to
make, that because the state is divine
agency in procuring social order, that
judge upon the bench is there by
divine authority and that his sentences
partake of and are of divine origin.
Judges are not always selected and
elevated to the bench because of their
profound learning or their Solomon
like wisdom. Very many judges in
executing the law, forget to be just
and mete out the ready made commod-