The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-03

when he would not do so if he knew his adversary were also armed, and when the difficulty is begun acts with less con- sideration. If the law had been such as to foice all judges of this State to sen- tence to some term of Imprisonment. l feel sure it would have broken up the baneful habit. I am becoming the more convinced that the additional punishment now provided by law that may be given should be imposed unless 1t were shown that the weapon so carried was for de- fensive purposes. l charge you, look carefully to this violation of law. and re- turn bills in such cases regardless of the parties, for the law gives you no discre- tion. By so doing you protect, as best you can, the law-abiding from the law less.
 Trusts and Illegal Combinations.
 Another of these statutes far-reaching in importance, which the law requires me to give in special charge.
 Sec. 5557 It is provided that any per- son or corporation who engages or agrees with other persons or corporations, or enters into.dUectly or indirectly. any com bilation pool trust or confederation to rule or fix the price. or limit the use or fix the quantity of production of any ar ticle or commodity. must. on conviction, be fined not less than $500 and not more than $1. 600; and like penalties for com binations to control corporations with in- tent to fix the prices of production of commodities.
 Election Frauds.
 It is also made the duty of the Judges to especially charge the grand jury and direct them to inquire into all illegal voting. and also all illegal acts commit- ted by officers of election" i69D. Since my last charge, no primary or general election has been held; but the statute is imperative that l charge on this import ant question.
 The demand for primary election that came from the different sections of the State was but one of the evidences of a feeling of security among the people, and that the time had come when every cleo tor may directly express his personal preference at the polls. having tho assur- ance of its consideration. We must recog- nize the demands of honest citizenship by giving honest elections. And when l beg YOU investigate and indict for violations of election laws, l feel that you should take pleasure in doing the promptings of honest hearts. Let us acknowledge the fact that no man can with impunity in- terfere with the free exercise of the elec- tive franchise by his neighbor.
 Our Governor strikes the keynote for honest elections when, in his recent mes sage, he said: We have come to honest elections in this State. Whatever may have been said in condemnation or justi- fication of frauds heretofore, there is no further occasion for anything short of absolute honesty in both the primary and the election. The man hereafter who shall sin thus is entitled to and must re- ceive the strongest condemnation of our psral statutes and the scorn of our citi- zensl ip.'
 Concerning Bribery.
 Your attention is now directed to the dangers of bribery. which Is a growing evil of the whole country. Under Sec ton 195 of the new constitution. "any per son who shall pay the poll tax of another. or advance him money for that purpose, in order to influence his vote, shall be guilty of bribery, and upon conviction they shall be imprisoned in the peniten- tiary for not less than one nor more than five years The mind revolts at the conduct of the man who falls to the temptation of gold But do we so regard his tempter, who came to him from plenty. filed with an unholy ambition to be called by title. or to rob the public of a right? Do We turn with disgust from the taker and walk half a block out of the way to speak to the man who gives the bribe? Remember the ring ing words of that famous English clergy man. Frederick William Robinson. Neither is he worthy who bribes 8 man to vote against his conscience" If bribery comes to your knowledge, don't forget to indict the briber first, for he will go on with his corruptions, while the taker will not be worth his buying again.