The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-03
JUDGE THOMAS CHARGES
 GRAND JURY EARNESTLY

important question on the minds and
 hearts of our grand jurics till they, at
 least, will not fail to know that 1 am in
 earnest about 1t. With pleasure 1 state
 that Montgomery County is no worse
 than large portion of our country. I
 have heretofore given comparative
 tables of the rate of homicide in the diff
 ferent States. tending to show that
 It was not alone question of density. or
 of population. or of race. or of climate.
 or of iliteracy. but the terrible result of
 conditions rooted in a peoples standard
 of honor, which experience has made a
 public opinion directing and restraining
 the enforcement of law. That this is true with us cannot be doubted. 1 give
 another example that may further illus
 trate this. Let us take the number
 of reported A,micides and cases of car
 rying concealed weapons for three years
 of the last two decades. as follows;--~ Increase Homicides. in Rate. lsSS ...."... ...".". &
 1eS2...... .......... 133 64 per cent 1909 ............. 196 4S per cent Carrying Concealed Weapons-1Ss3, 767; 1892. Sn; 1900, lo65.
 Increase in Katc-iSs. per cent; 1900. D per cent.
 It will be noted that the increase of car rying concealed weapons for the first pe- riod was only : per cent, while for the same time the rate of homicide increased enormously, at the rate of 6i per cent; while. for the secoad period, the cases | of carrying concealed weapons increased | at the rate of 2 per cent. and the rate | of homicides failed to respond propor- | tionately. but only was there an increase
 of 45 per cent. Certainly the fact that
 men more readily commit the misdcmea- I m han do v>7ttr trda in, | ure, explain the failure of these rates to | correspond. And I must not be misun- derstood just here in the use of the above l table. The means to that end will have | it's effect. A comparison of the rates of | homicide in the European countries and | Japan will show a higher rate in Japan, | where the criminal law Is strictly en- ! forced having one of the most efficient police systems in the world. Yet, that | the carrying of concealed weapons is not l forbidden in Japan and Is forbidden in | the European countries is significant. Reverence for Human Life. I would have you learn from what 1 have said and to further impress upon you, by the use of the language of an editorial from a leading journal of an- other great State that we stand at the foot of civilized nations in the estimate placed on life as it Is measured in the criminal records of the lands Results as large as this do not exist without dis cernibe causes. Many have been quick to rail on the courts of the land for their course in the matter, as if lax admin | istration and perversion of criminal law were the chief or even the sole cause of | this State of unrest and lawlessness The | courts have their share of the burden to bear But the trouble is farther reach- | ing than that. It lies in a realm over which the courts have no jurisdiction. 1t | originates in an atmosphere which the l courts have only a partial and relative power to control. The trouble begins in l lack of reverence of human life" I think I should also tell you here that of all the States of the Union. Ala bama
 stands only ninth from the highest rate
 of homicide.
 In a consideration of the matter we
 must not be unmindful of the fact that | local conditions at the South contribute l largely to swell the number of homicides,
 in that the colored man holds with little
 regard the life of his colored neighbor | when angered by him. But why does he
 so act Is it because his passion does
 not yield to reason, or is 1t that he feels l that a white man may violate our most
 serious statutes and escape punishment,
 and that if he kills his adversary his l white friend to control his labor will pre- vent his suffering the punishment of the | law? Would he so rashly take life if he knew the punishment was certain? If he
 knew that no influence could shield him | from the law? The remedy, then, must begin with a strict and impartial enforce ment of the law among all classes and | races. For of this you may be sure, that | one kind of lawlcssness will beget an- | other of a graver nature.
 Blood of Slain Cries Out. I. therefore, urge that you honestly in vestigate such offenses presented, and base your findings alone upon the evil dence before you, regardless of what any l former grand jury have failed or refused l to do, regardless of the finding of any | Coroners inquest or of the opinion of committing magistrates: and regardless of tine color or standing of his unfor- | tunate victim. Let it ring in your ears and burn in your hearts that the blood
 of the slain cries out to you that the crime
 be avenged.
 The killing of Editor Gonzales the other day in South Carolina, if unlawful, is no greater crime than would be the unlawful killing of some poor. unknown person. The sensation created may be different but the crime to God and man the same | And until we SO come to value and re- gard the sacred right to human life. our public opinion Is at fault, and just ap- preciation of reverence for human life is | lacking. Remember then. that 1t is as 1 great a crime for one man to kill not in | self-defense. as another; and that it is | alos as great crime for one man to | be unlawfully killed as another You will not deal honestly with yourselves and | with your fellow men if you do not so | regard it in your findings. Don't take up all your time trying to find some l crap shooter and not have time enough
 to find out the guilt of him who shoots his fellow man.
 Quotes the Governor.
 The Constitution depriving of the right
 0. suffrage. let Us give its guaranty of
 security by enforcing the law that pro- | tects life. I will here allow an editorial
 clipping to speak:
 Tn his recent inaugural address Gov
 ernor Jelks used these words:
 | While we have a more respectable
 electorate under the new Constitution, | there is doubly a duty now resting on the
 white people who make and execute the ] laws to see that that portion of our fel- | low citizens deprived of the privilege of voting are allowed liberty of person,
 safety of limb and the rights of property, enjoying these blessings a fully and free l y as the whitest man in the State | The Advertiser heartily endorses ev.
 cry word of this paragraph. The negro l is no longer political factor in Alabama. | He has nothing directly to do with mak- | ing or executing the laws and very