Evening star., 1902-05-02
ATESMEN CASES"
EVERY CITIZEN SHOULD BE AC-
CORDED EQUAL RIGHTS.
Members of Congress Who Violate the
Law Should Be Treated as
Other Men.

"In common with the plain people and
the residents of Washington 1 noted with
interest the editorial in Thursdays Star
In which II was suggested that some mark
or token should be given to our statesmen
by which they could be distinguished from
other people. to the end that they may be
neither touched nor addressed while upon
our public thoroughfares said member
of the District bar to a Star man this
morning. 'and to that editorial 1 will an
swer for all of us. one and for all, so say
we all There is no division of sentiment.
1T is probable that The Star intended
to be facetious rather than serious, but
whether facetious or serious. its position
and its remarks are welcomed at this
time. There is a grave underlying funda-
mental principle involved In this success
sion of statesmen cases which ought to
cause WashingtOnians no little alarm. and
that principle is the dearest we have, and
one for which we fought the revolutionary
war-individual rights. These rights are
recognized by the law of the land as sacred,
but they are set at naught in Washington,
and it is time to call a halt. The lowliest.
smut be grimed honest labOrer has equal in
dividual rights with the haughtiest states
man in the Capitol when on our streets and
under the protection of our laws but they
are not accorded to him. They must be.
There must be no privileged class of men
in the capital of the United States. When
men working for the bread and butter of
their wives and families may be dismissed
from their positions for extending with
honest intent courtesy to one of our
statesmen in protecting him from a possi-
BILE fall from a car, IL Is a condition and
not theory which cOnfronts us here. Some
protection must be accorded the plain peo-
pie against the caprices of the high and
mighty
Equal Justice to All Glasses.
when a lieutenant of police held court
In his station house, and adjudged one of
our statesmen not guilty OF the breaking Of
an ordinance against the fast driving Of
automobile, The Star again championed
the cause of the plain people and demanded
by what right the ex parte. inquisitorial de-
Examinations Of the individual opinions of
police officers. governing in Russia. should
prevail here. when an ordinary citizen may
be summariy arrested and fined for some
trivial Offense. The only mitigating cir
cumstances In the case OF the statesman
arrested by an officer in the proper per-
formance of his duty was that the states
man did not prefer charges against the Of
ficer for thus performing his duty. and en-
deavor to secure his dismissal from the
force We have magistrates courts in this
city for the determination Of the guilt or
Innocence OF any person arrested for the
violation Of an ordinance, and all Washing
tOnians hoped that the instance to which
The Star so pertinently adverted was the
last we should see for some time to come.
1T happens that 1 was once arrested,
other plain people in this city have been ar
rested. for the violation of a petty side
walk ordnance. and walked to the station
house. where 1 was required to put up
small collateral for my appearance in the
Police Court the following morning and to
which process of the law I made and now
make objection. Had I been a senator
OF the United States. or representative in
Congress. would | have been so arrested?
Indeed not. 1t would have been considered
too trivial 1 would not have been even
warned not to repeat It. Had 1 been a
poor man 1 would in all probability have
slept in the station house.
"At the last inaugural an officer was
taken severely to task because he prevent
ed member of Congress from violating the
rule OF the day In attempting to drive
through the lines, the statesman ordering
his driver to go ahead. The officer who
happened TO be at that particular corner
was made of the right kind of stuff for
driver under arrest. The effort which was
made To break him did not succeed, and
the plain people who had obeyed the law
and kept within the ropes rejOiced again.
Fast Automobiling.
And now comes the protest of another
Of our statesmen against obeying the laws
he himself helps to make. Two bicycle off,
GERS silently followed his racing automobile
one Of the fastest in the world. and when
his attendance in the Police Court the fol-
lowing morning to answer to a charge Of
fast driving. Surely. let the police of
Washington enforce the mandates of the
law against all corners and all classes
dissolve the force. In this latter instance
they showed the greatest consideration to
the statesman by reason OF his high official
position. frightened. no doubt. to arrest him
as they would the driver of an ordinary car
riage. for fear that he might attempt to
break them for the performance of their
duty. Be the reason as IL may, the fact
is that the statesman was requested to
be present in the morning at the Police
Court. which request was considered by
him to be an outrage With that ques-
tion the officers had nothing to do. The
speed registers on their bicycles showed a
violation of the law on the part of the
statesman. and IL they were In error the
sitting magistrate and not the other parties
to the affair would decide the question.
Upon the whole, in view Of the rapid in
crease in these statesmen cases the sug-
gestiOn of The Star Is extremely opportune
and happy A statesman looks the same
as any other man. either in the legislative
halls the streets II they not
bounden by ordinary rules and laws in
life and everyday existence let them adopt
some individual mark of distinction. that
the officers of the law, employees OF rail-
roads and other corporations and firms and
the plain people Of the capital may know
them when they appear upon the streets"