The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1902-01-24
mlspLAoED nEonrr.

MiHPLACEn REGRET
The esteemed Gainesville Sun, not
wlthstanding It's superior acumon
and we'll known general ability, In.
dulges In nearly n column Of regret
over tho superstition that THE HER
AID advocates lynch law. Az ground
for It's regret, II quotes from this pa
per paragraph Of the editorial ad-
dressed 10 the Jacksonville Metrop.
oils, IN which II was distinctly adj
yised 10 resort TO the courts first, to
seli-protectlon next,
Having assumed that THE HER
AID favors lynchlng m preference to
the processes OF the established
courts, which assumption Is incor-
rect, tho Sun asserts that "those who
wllfully take the law into their own
hands should stop to consider that
whom they do so and 60 TO the extent
OF taking the life Of a murderer, or
any other criminal, that they are
themselves guilty of murder tx the
sight OF God aud the law"
This brings up first principles. The
original law was, "Wohso shoddeth
mans blood, by man shall his blood
DO shod.' This Is the law now, the
only change being In lie admlnistra.
ton. Az society improved and poo.
pie became fastldious, orderly meth
DDS received preference and tho peo4
pie delegated the rights and func-
lions which God gave them TO organ
ixed government and a regularly all.
thorlsed hangman.
Now, IL modern methods prove
utterly ineiiiclont, what shall the
people dor Have they not the right
to resume for their own projection
the functions which thoy have dele
gated 10 others7 Aud would you
call Il murder for the people TO kin n
man Ia solf-deience
Tho people make the laws and the
machinery for executing Thorn. II
The machinery proyes worse than
worthless (noslce tho II, please), shall
tho people persist Ia rlsking their
safety upon ~
Now, the Sun says that there was
a time when lynchlIg In AlachuA
county was common, no much so that
the people In their hasty and incon.
aiderato wrath carried II to an OK
treme and lynched u man suspected
OF having burned cheap barn
Courts sometimes do that--hang an
Innocent man, especially II he is
without money 10 hire able lawyers
% postpone trial until all the wit
nessss sro dead or out Of roach.
The argument OF tho Sun Ia, that as
tho people are liable TO err, they.
should refrain. The same reasoning
will apply to the courts, which err
oitener than the people.
The Sun, however, says that the
case of the suspected barn burner
supplemented by lie own efforts
caused q revision Of public feeling,
In consequence Of which lynchlngs
ceased. 30 did legal hnngings, OK
cept In the cases Of one or two poor
niggers who were pecunlarlly unable
TO employ skilled lawyers.
The ceasing OF lynchIng did not
stop murder nor add to tho efficiency
OF the courts. Since lynching ceased,
how many cold blooded murders
have been committed at High
Springs alone and gone unpublished 7
at Nowberry and other places2
But the Sun says; III tho law or
tho courts Ia at fault, there are too
many opportunities presented to the
people 70 remedy the OWL cond itIons."
Indeed Cheap rope and conven-
lent trees II not, what other OPP
portunitles have they2
ave would advise Editor Jordan"
says the Sun, ITO study the condi.
tons before recommending lynching
as an alternative" That Ia what he
has done and no flnds them to be |:
Innocent mon are cruelty murdered
aud the perpetrators escape; II ar
rested, . farcial trial results and they
90 scott-fres.
Referring 30 conditions In Alachua
the Sun asserts "Here the fault was
In legal technicalities and court com-
missIoners. The Sun fought these
agencies against justice until II has
succeeded Ia sweeping them away"
oh no, Brother McCreary, You
may have swept away the rascally
court commissioners, but the still
more vlllainoup legal technicalities
remain. So docs lawyer here and
there who for . fee will abet an as
sassln by resorting TO these technI-
caiities and oil sorts OF tricks and
dilatory pleas to thwart outraged JUS
tics. Sweep these away, Brother
McCreary, ana you will prove the
States greatest bsnefactor.
IL appears, however, that the Sun
Ia not utterly ayerse to lynchlng af-
ter the courts have boon tried with
out avail, for IL concludes "In a
great many cases the of1clals en-
trusted with the enforcement Of tho
law are ut fault, but how seldom is II
tina. q man guilty Of murder and &C
Quilted by the courts is the victim
OF lynch law. As q rule those who
favor or advocate lynch law, as Ed
itor Jordan has done. act upon I'm.
49, -. A.. A.. Iif. - tl.xi. ..i..