The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-02-18
Technicalities.

ILedueIS Oh L IL Z y y u L IL IL nave
b seen reprinted in these columns many
of the caustic things the pressaofr the
. country has, been, saying, about1 the
REesca pc of Doc? Ames thru a supreme
court decision. From the standpoint
Of these outsiders the Minnesota su->
spreme court seems to be about on a
sIpar with that of Missouri. This view
does our supreme court an injustice,
for we feel sure that the justices
: passed judgment according to. their
interpretation of the law and their
own consciences. Nevertheless, it is
worth while to see ourselves as others
see us. Here is what Golfers Weekly,
one of the most widely read -publica--
tons in America, says: -
sTDoc, Amesl of Minneapolis, the 5nlayo@
,&$ssrho has been on trial for. boodIing. has
Yhad at least temporary escape thru the
&Auashng of an indictment by the supreme
9Sourt of Minnesota. Coming sitter the
IMissouri cases. this decision will not re-
$Feive a hearty national welcome. The
fourt differs on the grounds for reversal
M,he majority and minority admit evidence
gef guilt. Naturally, to the lay mind it
s$eems strange that If man is deemed
Enthusiastically guilty he is. 50 likely to
%
technical deficiencies III Indictment. Very
possibly the Minnesota court was moved
entirely by love- Of Justice a nd @fespe et for
5aw We are in no position to imply the
CONTRARY. and certainly have desire to
go soS There is, no doubt however that
saur criminal jurisprudence is not a credit
40 the country. The procedure, itself rs fdIs-
ferior to the English. the judges are less
shGarned and less @disinterested. and 1t he
4tst Of these conditions depends to4a LARGE
spondents. especially we'll informed about
Inside politics, but without knowledge of
the law. speaks of ''the uniform defenses
! by the courts of our SYSTEM of corruption. =
Another remarks chat any one of oJlffedi-
! torials ON the Missouri cases would con-
.>stitute a very henous contempt under the
present laws of Missouri but he submits
that It. is of no importance what the
court thinks adding: II know the coltrt.''
ON the Anes case western business man
writes: 1T seems. as. if it were. utterly
impossible to convict a man who has Do-
1itical backing, and so other officials of
our state and municipal governments are
encouraged to persist in their pernicious
grating The fundamental blame be-
longs upon the voters who accept, the boss
system and care more for party names
than for purity of character ,sss,s :, .
There is a very widespread belief
that there is a direct connection be-
tween crime and 1awlessness in this
country and the methods and results
of our courts, just as there is a direct
connection in England between peace
and order and the efficiency of the
English courts. In England there is
very little hope that criminal will
escape punishment. In this country
there is about an even chance that he
WALL The inferiority Of our courts is
due to the greater power of the tech
nfcality with us and to an easy-going
spirit coupled With an excessively de-
veloped bump OF mercy The two
last-named elements are 5 national
characteristics. AS a people. mes. dc
not judge harshly those who prey
upon us, and we$sare general y ready
to see ten red-handed amurderers
escape rather than take any chance
that some worthless wretch who may
have committed a dozen other fou
crimes shall not be punished for the
one he is particularly accused of. And
yet it is comparatively rarely that oul
jlries let criminals escape. Nine times
out of ten the jury.in criminal cases
renders a verdict that is in accordance
with the evidence. 1T is in the ap.
pellate courts that justice fails anC
villains triumph. Our attention has
been called to an "assize sermon te