Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-10-13

ant to the mercy of the court.
In the same county, at the same
term Of court, a man waylaid another
in the night time, hiding himself in a
fence corner, and shot his victim as he
passed along the road. The jury rec
commended defendant to the mercy Of
the court. 1t is possible that criminals
on the juries in each Of these cases
coerced the recommendations for
mercy. But these verdicts on their
faces mean, if they mean anything,
that the jurors sympathized with the
assassins.
Threw Away Cfemency Petition.
At the same term of the court a man
was convicted for running another with
brass knucks, making him an invalid
for life. When the time came for me
to sentence the defendant, l was pre-
sented with a monster petition asking
for a light penalty. | threw the petit
ton aside in disgust, and proceeded to
inflict the maximum penalty under the
statute.
Any man who does not understand
that crime Is simply the devil in ac-
ton has failed to- comprehend even the
child's catechism OF moral law. To
sympathize with crime is simply to
sympathize with the devil. This cor-
roding disease of the public mind must
be cured before the criminal law can
be enforced.
Another malady that is making the
administration of the criminal law a
farce in this state is the hysterical no.
ton that it ought to be administered
so that nobody will be hurt. 1t is a
judicial crime to so administer the
law. 1t was designed and it is of the
very genius to hurt its violators. II
the criminals of the Tenth district do
not want to get hurt, it will be we'll
for them to get out of the range of
this court.
The direct tendency and moral eff
feet of crime triumphant will be the
subversion of all civil government
and the %abrogation of all law. If the
criminals of this state succeed in their
plot and diabolical scheme to over
throw all law, then we will be re-
duced to our primeval state before
civil government was organized when
a man could only claim what he was
able to defend by brute force. The
sanctity of home, chastity Of wife and
innocence of daughter might all be
swept away by a more powerful brute
force.
If the moral conscience of the peo-
pie can be aroused, and their eyes
opened, the town tough, who has no
visible means of support, and who
lives by ~debauching the youths of the
land in gambling bells and blind til
gers, will be bounded down as a beast
of prey.
Respect for Law in England.
England has substantially the same
system of laws that we have, and
there is not the slightest trouble in en-
forcing the law in that country. Dur
ing the last year there were only ID
murders committed in the populous
city of London, with a population
more than three times the population
of the whole state of Mississippi, and
II of those 10 were hanged. How
many murders were committed in the
state of Mississippi during that period,
and how many of the murderers were
hanged? Any honest and accurate an
swer to the question will bring the
blush of shame to any Mississippian
who claims to be a good citizen.
| I have been somewhat criticised for
reserving seats in the bar for minis
ters. l do not care for criticism from
any source whatsoever. The circuit
court must do its work by the sup
preston of crime before the churches
can prosper. The minister may pray
and preach until he wears out the
knees of his trousers and all the hair
comes off his head, and just as long
as the devil has the people corralled
supplied with pistols and Blind tiger
liquor, the work of the destruction OF
humanity will go on and The churches
will wither and starve.
The ministers have not only the
privilege, but, in my opinion, it is their
solemn duty to stand by the circuit
court and insist upon the suppression
of crime. If l had it in my power to
do so | would ~unloosen the tongue OF
every minister in this state and have
them hurl their philippics against
crime, thunder at the doors of the
temples of justice, and, backed by the
good men and pure ONE of the
state, demand the enforcement Of the
criminal law in the interest Of public
morality.
Right and Expedient.
1t is not only right to rigidly enforce
the criminal laws, but it is peculiarly
~expedient for us to do so at this time
Tho trend of economic events and con
ditions favors this state regaining the
place it deserves in the national gov
eminent. Capital will be deferred I'M
less the criminal law is rigidly en-
forced.
You may run your eye over the maj
of the world, and you will find in ev'
cry country where the law is enforced
peace, prosperity and a high degree o
civilization obtain, and in every coun
try where the law is not enforced, YOU
will find anarchy, revolutions and gen