The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-10-29
JUSTICE OUTRAGED.

Result of the Haywood and TiiIman
Trials Shakes Public Confidence In
the Integrity OF tie Courts-Judae
PEBBLES Conduct Severely Criticised
The Lenoir Topic, whose editor is
a lawyer, makes this comment on the
result of the Haywood and Tillman
trials. and demands sin the name OF
common decency," the impeachment
ofJud9e PEBBLES for his high-handed
insult to the civilization of which we
boast.'1 1t says: =
The Tlllman aud Haywood murder
trials are past into the annals OF his
tory in the two Carolinas. The result
was Us expected by many-no more.
no less. People in North Carolina
have lost confidence in the courts
not knowing that they are the power
that can make and uimake courts.
As is said in the dissenting opinion of
Chief Justice Clark in the ease of the
State VS.. Cole. 1872 n G., reports, it
has so become that Il verdict OF mot
guilty" of Il capital felony is merely
d question of the adroitness OF the
counsel for defense and the size of his
clients pocket-bcok. All confidence
is lost in the courts and the people GO
on their way and such travesties are
| merely IL matter OF passing comment.
But in the North Carolina case 1--WE
| will let South Carolina look after her
own troubles the jury rthecounty
was to blame. As to that point we
will see. Some newspaper a short
| time ago remarked thata Judge OF
| the Superior Court had more power
than any other man i'll the State. 1t
is true Their judicial discretion is
| large They can enforce the laws or
| for them breed contempt AS to the
case III point We have no desire to re-
fleet upon the defendant Haywood.
| To him representation Was nature 5
first law so far as the law $ penalty
was concerned He fought for his
neck and saved it We have neither
any ;lspersion ia east on defendant s
counsel They had IL sworn duty to
| perform as to their client We will
not attempt to criticise the verdict of
| Wakes twelve good and lawful men
they did rs the court bid them per-
haps, or it may be the evidence was
to their mind conclusive of Innocence
we shall take their verdict as cor
rect. But we shall ever condemn in
our strongest manner the demagOgue
who presided overthat court and has
made our State an object OF the
worlds scorn. This is government
of laws-nOt of men and we demand
that he be required to answer at the
bar Of justice for that stump speech
he delivered to that Wake county
Jury. The very memory OF him shall
ever be a stencil in the nostrils of de-
cent people and his conduct is even
worse than that of Fusionist Robin
son in his palmiest days OF corrup-
ton. The Wilmington Messenger
has a symposium of opinionsfrom at
least twenty papers, each one OF whom
have nothing but words OF cOndem-
nation. We wonder if each one OF
these papers will remember their duty
hereafter. or shall their rebuke be but
an ephemeral thought which may in
the heat of politics be forgotten? We
hope their duties will be remembered
by them. We are taught that all
power proceeds from the peopl"
| Then we demand in the name of on,
ragged law that these same freem
arise and assert their unmeasur4,
power In the name of common d,
cency we demand that Judge Peebie-
be infpeached for his hieh-handed il.
suit to the civilization of which W,
| boast.