Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1904-12-08

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last week. 1t took three days to try
the case and jury of IL men said
he was not guilty. Jones, he pays
the freight to the tune of about 100.
The above clipping from recent
issue of the Meade County Globe is
manifestation of a spirit among a
certain class of our citizens to coddle
the rowdy element, which is with US,
as it is with all other communities.
This seems to have been done with
the idea that something is to be gain
ed by the one doing it, and the same
aid and comfort issometimes extend
ed to those guilty of graver crimes
against the community and the state.
This misguided effort for private gain
by some, is one of the most potent
factors tending to make the punish
ment of crime difficult, and in some
cases entirely abhortive, not with
standing that persons making these
pleas against the enforcement of the
laws on our statute books, often as in
this case by the Globe are reckless
as to whether or not the statements
made are facts. Certainly any pa
per wishing to sustain a reputation
for reliability should let nothing so
bias, the utterance of its news col
umns that it will publish as a fact,
something of which the editor knows
nothing, as the Globe did in the
above alleged news item. The Globe
did not know what the costs in that
case were and it could not, for at
the time of it's publication the court
had not made up the cost docket.
Again if it had contented itself with
stating the facts without any embel-
ishment, no person would have had
any just cause to complain of the
item. But with the alleged facts the
Globe connects sneer at the coun-
ty attorney who was only doing his
sworn duty. Or was it the common
growl of those who wish to emb mbarrass
all enforcement of law, or again was
it only a bid for favor With the class
which is always in sympathy with law
breakers?
When the first attempt was made
in this county to enforce the prohib-
itory law and stop bootleging whisky
there was terrible howl went up
from those in sympathy with the un-
lawful sale of intoxicating beverages
about the expense which it entailed
on, as they said, the township; and
men who never paid a cent of tax
and likely never will, stood on the
street corners and howled like a
coyote on moon light night. Does
the Globe mean from this to be a
mouth piece for that element? If
the Globe had no motive in the item
except to give the news, why did it
not say that the sheriff gets a salary
and that his fees are not proper
charge against the county in a GRIM
inal action, and that there were three
persons arrested under this COM
plant, or that warrant was issued
for three and that two of them came
into court voluntarily and plead
guilty; that these two paid fines and
costs, sum lacking only a small
amount of all the legal costs incur
ed in the case.
Then if the Globe wished to be a
correct disseminator of actual news
and at the same time an instructor
of the people, as all papers do claim
to be, why did it not say that this
money went into the county school
fund and the county general fund,
the two funds nearest to the people.
Yes, the Globe is a great power ir
the enforcement of law as is proved
by the speech the editor made In q
public meeting, called to discus:
ways and means to arrest two des.
peradoes. In that little talk he sale
that he was ready to buckle on hi:
gun and go down and help to arres
those fellows. Now will the Globe
say where the editor went when leao
began to fly in an effort to arrest one
of those same fellows, we mean tht
place he was reported to be in whel
he said, ''That man Griggs Away
goes off half cooked" And did no
the Globe go off half cooked when i
published the above as an item O
news.
| Rock Salt.