The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-06-12
THE MORAL OF 1T.

THE MORAL OF 1T.
The James Younger aggregation OF
poor horses aud painted men Is bum
show, according 10 the testimony OF a
large maiorlty.of these who paid their
Honey aud wasted their time going to
see il. But that is not It's chief oo-
jection.
Its chief objection. and one the
American people should frown upon
and are frownlng upon-is that the
said to be reformed ex bandits at Its
head, are making mere handise c. their
lawless, desperate, wicked and as
graceful past. That unhappy period
in their lives they should try to blot
from the public mind, they are parad-
ing and prostituting for sordid gain.
That unenviable past. which they
should try to forget and to have the
world forget, they are using as their
stock in trade to attract the NOR
bidly curious and put money in their
purses. Highwaymen and robbers that
hey were, instead of being abashed and
ashamed of the bandit lives they led'
they seek to turn doubtfully honest
penny now by making profert OF a
notoriously dishonest past.
There was universal sympathy for
these men for the causes that led TO
their crimes. They were greatly
sinned against. as we'll as SHINING.
Their parents were honest. clever
people, ana they we're ruthlessiy MUIR
dered; their sisters were taken from
home and confined IN an old barn. and
assaulted ana outraged and killed.
And the boys swore vengence. Ana
who could b anne thems And their
neighbors who knew them best, sym
pathized with them most. And 1t
was this sympathy, and this alone,
that kept Cole Younger from hanging.
Frank James was never captured, and, II
we remember rightly, WAS never trled ;
he would have preferred death with
his boots on, to dangling at the end OF a
rope. But through the Intervention
of influential friends, and because OF
public sympathy for his SORROWS he
was enabled to compromise with the
law upon a promise to be good.
And the men themselves have that
universally attractive quality OF un-
daunted courage And this togeth er
with the tragic cruelty of the wrongs
heaped upon them, and the terrible
vengeance of their outraged souls upon
their enemies. won much OF sympathy
and more or less of admiration. And
the public was glad that justice was
tempered with mercy towards them.
But 1t is altogether different when
they seek to traffic either upon their
sorrows or their crimes. No truly
reformed man loves to dwell upon his
wicked past, much less to make mer-
chandise of 1t. And the heart OF the
world grows hard to those who seek to
trade and profit upon their Affections.
The very terms of Younger s parole
is against his parading himself. he is
not permitted to enter the parade or
take any part in his so-called show.
He IS not allowed to go upon the plat
form. The pardoning power, seeking
In specific terms to protect the public
from the shameful imposition these
ex- bandits are practicing.
Certainly the post OF honor for
Younger and for James, is the private
station. They should be ashamed to
couple their own names together.
They should seek retirement and
eschew all public notice. They should
beg to be forgotten; and in some quiet
and secluded spot, and IN some humble
way for they are not qualified by edu-
cation, association or experience for
any of the higher pursuits of iife)
seek to earn an honest living by the
sweat of their brow.
And if they will not do that OF ir
own accord, the public by ignoring
them should teach them lesson in
roprlety, their gross natures lack the
refinement and culture to discern.