The sun., 1901-10-12


every citizen is innocent Of crime until he
has been proved guilty. A very marked
example of this presumption was shown
in the trial of the assassin of President
Mckinley. Mhen arraigned he plead
guilty; and the court refused to accept
the plea Of guilty. 1t ordered the clerk
of the court to enter plea of .'not
guilty accepted it and demanded that
the State prove the assassin guilty he
fore it would admit that he was a mpr.
lercr. Why was that not putting "thr
man who murders upon a level with
those whose lives are pure and whose
motives are good? What higher plane
could he accorded any man in or by
the law! 1t is true that under the law
men are sometimes deprived OF their
liberty and their lives. But that is the
process by which the law maintains the
equality Of citizenship. Murdcrers are cs-
ecnted. The law does not suppose thrt
there are any murderers exercising eli
zen's rights. The snpposition is that they
arc all dead. What right has the News
to u contrary opinion? The law aloro
! says what murderer is. and it saws hr
shall he executed. How does the News
know that the law has not been com.
plird with, and by what right does il
charge that there are murdercrs among
the citizens of this or any other Statc1
Again the law provides that citizens COM
mittiug felonies shall be imprisoned 1t
provides also that such citizens shall h.
deprived Of their citizenship rights AMI
shall not regain they. The suppositul
af the law then is that the murderarS
are all dead: that the felons are either all
III prison. or have been outlawed and nor
allowed to exercise citizenship rights. BY
there are felons and outlaws among the
citizens of this or other States? The law
provides also that citizens convicted of
violations of the law, who hy the courts
are thus classcd among the vicious.
where the penalties cXacted do not dis
franchise them, shall regain all Their
compliance with the law and discharge
.hprefrom. Tn contradiction to all this
the News SAYS:
To maintain that the voice of the vie
ions should have as much weight in the
councils Of organized society rs the voice
If the virtuous the reputable and law
abiding is to make bid for the dis
solution of organized society and re-
tnrn to the principles Of brute force.
Could anything be more absurd than
shat? Could there 30 any thing more
destructive Of the hoastcd "cpual rights"
If citizenship than that? To maintain
thn NcwS' ilea and make it prevail
would be to return to the rule of class
iud caste. What it claims and advocates
Is the basis of the doctrine Of the "Di-
vino right Of Kings" The murdcrous
lrspots Of history defended them
-olvcs upon exactly that ss-thcy were
virtuous, and the people We're Vicious
were hoors. williams. ScrfS and slaves
Win no flEnt tnat 1hr NlftuOnS ncci rc-
srnct. The era in which self righteous
virtue ruled the world. was the ora Of
brute force
The trouble with the News Is, it does
rlt know anything about what II Is at
mptng to discuss. 1t is charity to give
7 The benefit Of that Judgment. Its pro
tensions make il ridiculous. lis rgotiSm
i disgusting Its manifest ignorance ap-
calls to pity. The poor thing; without
'tS self assumed virtues, how poor it
'Eould To- Aud vet, it assumes the role
# leadership political leadership dcny-
iRg a> iii alleged "Rrpuhlican Journal"
ilS the alleged 'lcading newspaper" Of
nn American state. the doctrine o. equal
Political rights: jahhc"ing abou 4 part
't the people, whom it calls. vicious mur-
tri'ns ana pIundcring thc 3thcr part
whom it calls virtuous. The intimatipn
that such condition exists III this conn
n iy is the most absurd of political lies.
Before the law i'll citizens are equal.
'"hr lazy prevails.