The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1901-01-29
WORDS
Worthy of a Careful Considera
ton. Readl Reflect
Respond!

| hNhNNShJ II cNioSJ Ju9NASS No"iN
be habitually administered in the
State.
Whatever else may be said OF
that State all recognize that in her
courts the law is administered !;
crime is punished and no rank,
wealth or influence is of avail be
fore her courts or jurles. And this
has given to the State character
which is praiseworthy and il has
become inwrought in her people.
Every Jerseyman has been train
ed to believe that justice ought to
administered that the law ought
torecognize no favorites; thatluries
/ ought to respond dutifully to their
Oaths; that public officers ought to
/ discharge their official duties in
connection with the administration
OF law with an eye single to their
performance
1t is understood to be the Jersey
characteristic until it has become
so inwrought into the very nature
andbeing of every Jerseyman that
he unconsciously, as officer juror,
witness or citizen, is imbucd with
the spirit Of Justice And this is a
superb characteristic. II is Of in
estimable value in the security it
gives to life, property and various
vocations in which men make their
living.
There was recent illustration
of the promptitude swith Z which
crime is tried and the certainty
with which it is punished in the
late brutal Patterson crime
The death of the young woman,
. with which four young men were
! charged, was accompanied with al
most every aggravating circum-
stance, except that it was quite ev-
ident that murder was not contem-
plated
The criminals were men of good
position: one of them was the son
of wealthy manufacturer, al of
them of influence. There was a
prompt arrest; a prompt investiga-
ton at the first term of the court
ia prompt indictment; the indict.
ments were set down for trial, and
when the cases were called the trial
was begun. In less than half a
day jury was obtained, the open
ing statements made and in five
J days the trial of three of them was
ended one of them having been
given a separate trial; and at the
termination of the trial, after a few
hours deliberation, a verdict of
/ guilty of murder in the second de
gree was rendered, for which the
punishment is Imprisonment not
exceeding thirty years. The jury
agreed to the verdict because the
majority of it was satisfied that
the young men did not contemplate
murder.
No one could estimate what it
would be worth to Kentucky if the
people of Kentucky were animated
by the same spirit Of justice. 1t is
not infrequent that our courts are
censured; our public officers con
demned our iuries denounced for
the failure of justice, or for the
non performance Of official duties
or the lax administration OF the
law. 1t may be that this criticism
censure aud denunciation are Just
in the sense that the act deserves
censure; but they are not just in
2 the sense that the courts, juries
and officers are alone to blame
The people who elect them who re-
elect them, who approve Of what
they do, are the real culprits. All
officers would respond promptly tc
public sentiment; all courts would
quickly feel the power and influence
s of public opinion, and all officers
would be prompt to discharge theil
duties if they felt by such actor
i they could obtain public applause
b and receive public approval. TIL,
!. ljuries are the people. THE Morn
ing Herald.