The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-06-18

along q his is all ri ht and commen-
dable, but the question arises who
outside Sof the reporter guard ing 70
seesthat he conf rH,s to the required
regulations 2 " n
Complaints are continually coming,
to the police and other city officials,
from those outside the borough, about
the annoyance from stock left to run
at large. They forgot that the police
and city officials have jurisdiction
only within the city limits. They
cannot. therefore, go outside to abate
nuisances for others, however just
may be their cause for complaint.
Their only remedy is to seek relief
through the county and State laws
enacted for their protection These
laws, if we mistake not, require every
owner OF stock to provide stuff cient
fencing or other means to keep them
inside his own premises. If, however,
he fails to do this, allowing them to
trespass on others, their redress is in
a warrant for neglect, and securing
damages.
4 good deal Of feeling is expressed
by many of our citizens of late, in re-
gard to some miScceant fish scaven-
gers, who persist in repeatedly dyna-
hitting the river. This is known by
all TO be az crime under the law, in
that it destroys all the fish, great and
small within the radius Of the con
custom. The law was enacted to pro
tect against this wholesale slaughter
OF the useless along with the good
fish and of all kinds during certain
| seasons. And yet for weeks past
| some thoughtless or lawless ones,
! seeking to cover their crime by dark
ness. have been making the night hid
| eous at certain secluded points by
| their dynamite explosions in viola
ton Of the law. Attention has been
called to the fact, and if caught, a
| severe penalty will be imposed.
! All kinds and methods of reforms
are being instituted by the First
| warders of late. There has been a
marked reform in the line of contin-
uous material improvements. public
and private; a reform in social evils,
as seen in the efforts to get rid Of
questionable places of evil resort; a
| more careful scrutiny of our sanitary
conditions, looking to the purity OF
our water supplies at certain points,
and the cleanliness of our premises.
| The latest, however, is that instituted
by few Of our self-appointed citizens
| for the betterment OF personal condi-
| lions and family relations, as noted
in the whipping OF Jim Means the
other night, upon the merits of which
! public sentiment is divided The
| question is not as to the end sought,
and how much it was needed. but as
TO the methods employed and the
probable results to be achieved. This
we learn is only the first instance OF
several others of a similar nature
! secret warnings already given to the
Offenders mean anything. The fact
of selecting darkness for their action,
and destroying their identity by
means OF masks. would tend to rob
the deed of personal merit, and the
higher instincts accompanying worthy
motives for the genuine reform of a
weak and erring friend. Besides it is
taking the law into our own hands
for the remedy OF evils, which is not
only questionable in design and meth
Cd, but liable to be carried to eX-
tremes and result in n more danger
Gus evil than the already existing one
sought to be remedied.