The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1902-05-15
COULD HE RECOGNIZE TIE ARTICLE?

Said resident of Palatk0 the other day to his
colored barber, 1T is impossible for Il northern
man to get Justice in this country" This is grave
charge. Is it true?
Considered as an attribute of man, justice has to
do with Il mans intercourse with his fellows; con-
sdered with reference to the administration Of law
it means rendering to each party to II controversy
the exact rights which his dueAccordlng to the
law and the evidence. One of Plato's leading def
nitons of Justice is that person should do his own
thlngs''-i e., mind his own business and then he
would be able to determine what mans Gown
things" are by state authority. The Stocs, after Il
definition Of the Platonc school, conceived it to be
that which assigns to each his due or WORTH
Whether the author of the above charge. made i'll
a heart to heart talk with his barber, had III mind
the application of justice i'll the administration Of
law or in its equally important relations as between
man and man, do not know, but he had in mind
one or the other, and possibly both.
Are the Judges who preside in the courts of Flori
da men who are so filled with sectional prejudice
that they cannot decide impartAlly and according
to the law and the evidence, III which one Of
the parties litigant is from the north? The ques-
ton is so ridiculously silly that it would be worse
than waste of good paper and ink to dignity it with
an answer. Palatka has had recent example.
northern man was arrested charged with high crime.
One of his accusers was an Influential southern
man, and his prosecuting attorneys were southern
in every fibre. The Judge who decided the case was
a native Floridian. The northern man dis
charged, and it is supposed he left town satisfied
that he received justice. Anyway he got what he
asked for. The question of section did not enter
into the case and doubt if the witnesses, the at
torneys or the judge ever gave Il thought rs to
whether the accused was born i'll Households, Kal-
amazoo or Oshkosh, or as to whether he was ever
really born at all.
But when 1t comes to Justice under the Plotonc
definition regarding mans intercourse with his fell
lows-the Winding of his own businesses it not
Just possible that prejudiced Yankee can come
into this country get full measure of justice, and
still not be able to recognize it? We think so.
The writer is a northern man-that is to say he
was born IN the north, and that, too, without even
being consulted in the matter He has lived in
Florida Is years. and in that time has observed tive
classes of Yankee arrivals. Both We're hospitality
received Perhaps the reader has seen both types
There is the man who comes into the country de
termined to make himself agreeable. He identifies
himself with the people, He may not find every.
thing to his liking, but not being overly eXacting
cuss he puts up with such things he does not like
smilingv until such time as he effect change
in the regular way. He does not affiliate with MOI
make his political bed with the negroes but chooses
for his associates politically we'll socially, his
own kind. He isn't always busy making compari
sons in which the thickly settled and wealthy sec
lions of the north is party Of the first part, and thu
sparcely settled and comparatively poor south il
party of the second part. His charity is of the sor
that could, if necessary, suffer long and stll. BE-