The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-23

he representatives of the people, what stayed the hand of oppression ,and, with d force greater than that of any mailed hand. barred the door of the lexisiative halls against the soldier arain for generations to come? It was the power of public opinion in New York and the East. which burst out quicker and erander than the storm, speaking in tcnes millions could read thus far. and no further"
 We ought to be willing. we ought to be anxious. to have and desire the rood opinaon of mankind. We are looked upon. and will not say with how much justice, dn many sections, as utterly unrnindful of the one great duty of government-the sure and steadfast protection of the weak and the helpsess. We are thought to be dtsbelievers in the sanctity of human life--if that life happens to be that of a negro We are looked upon as .tac- itly consenting, If not openly approv- ing, the right of any body of men to rnete out death, without trial or evil dence. if the suspect can be found. to Kiln him. not for rape alone, but for any offense against the laws. As south ern men. let us ask ourselves how far appearances justify the belief; Have we stopped mobs at rape? Is not the thirst of mob violence for blood as great in many lesser crimes? And are not our courts open? Is tuatice admin istered by our judges or our own ju- rles? How many of these continued outbreaks and assaults upon officers and jails have been punished? We kroy and the world knows. Does 1t not be- hoove us to pause and consider? To devise some remedy? To strike some blow for the sanctity of human lNe and the honor of our State?
 These mob executions are brutalizing our childrens blunting our religion, and undermining our civilization. Can any one in the sound of my voice, rise up and say that this Is not SO? We are undermining all noble idealsr of duty and manhood. When we surrender to any local public opinion. which dom- mates in some places. that Sheriff is not bound to take any risks. even to loss of life or limb. in defense of a prisoner. we abdicate all our past and bow down and worship false and base standards of duty. Why should not the Sheriff die at his post as we'll as the locomotive engineer, or the priest. or the doctor. or the soldier? (kp- plause.}
 We are setting balefui example to our young sons, who are coming up around us, if we teach that when q prisoner is given to an officer. that ofYieer is free to desert his post of 1t. It is not like Alabama or the South to tolerate such a doctrine. Let us de- clare our faith as to this in our fun- danlental law. (Applause.
 I do earnestly trust that this last Article framed by this Executive De- partment will not be touched in a line, but that it will go out from these halls that the law shall be executed, that we despise mob vi0lenee, and we intend that human life shall he re- garded as sacred. and be taken only by the law. (Applause.)
 MT. Fitts-I want te make a mo- ten.
 The President-The gentleman frem Pike is recognized.
 Mir. Fitts-[Will the gentleman yield, I want to make a motion to continue the session.
 !. Mir. Samford--I desire to say Sc far as I knew, every thought of ny dis tinguished friend from Montgomery is of the highest nature, that for him the highest models of honor are se- iected, that his high-Tnindedness is not surpassed in the State, but when he says that he Is not willing to trust the administration of the laws of this land to the people of the state he raises a standard to which I am not willing to/subscribe.
 MT. .Cunningham-EIe never said that. l. Mir. Sanford-The only difference between the gentleman from Montgom- cry and myself Is the method by which the same end may be obtained. There is a law already for the impeachment of the Sheriff. There is a law Already that wherever a Sheriff in this county fails to be at his post. like the captain of a great ocean steamer. or the loco- motive engineer with his hand on the throttle. as he gees down te death and destruction, that he shall be impeaehed and removed from ofHce.
 Gentlemen on the other side of the controversy contend that the Supreme Court is. the place where they ought to be tried. and away from the people who elected them, and away from the Jurisdiction before whom they had a right to be heard, at the Capital of the State. Where would this thing lead? I understand men have been shot down upon the streets of Mont gomery, shot in the back, and no in- dictrnents have ever been returned by the grand jury of Montgomery Coun- ty. -
 Mr. Jones-I do not understand that such is the case; but if that be so we should have some tribunal who would indict and If there are none in the county we should seek them elsewhere.
 Mr Samford--Is that an argument that the Supreme Court ought to nave iurIadietion in this county and not the people of Montgomery In the enforce ment and punishment for crime! Can you say that the people of Montgomery are not capable of administering the criminal laws of this State and there fore the administration Of them ought to be put in the hands of the Supreme Court of Alabama? You can see where if leads to- If you start with sheriffs, if you adopt the nlan of the gentleman from Mont eomery with shertnfs. why not so and change the venue from different coun- ties and allow the juries in the differ Ant counties to try crimes in other counties. and allow the grand jury of one county to return indictments where ofYenses has been committed in another county.
 MF. Foster-Are not chancellors and probate Jsdges now impeached before the Supreme CourtF
 MT. Sarnford-Yes, but they are part Of the 1udieal system of the State and for that reaton probably it was pro- vided that their impeachment should take place before the Supreme Court of
 Mir. deGraffenried-Are not the sheriffs part of the executive depart
 MT. samrord-Yes. but the executive is not asked to impeach him. And whenever you give the Governor the