The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1904-05-05
LAW FOR TRAIN WREckERs.
Land-Pirates Of the West Deserve the
Same Punishment Melted Out
to Those Of the Sea.

Piracy on the nlgn seas mas ceased 10
vex the argosies of the world. Burning
merchant ships, looted by infamous
robbers, no longer dot the paths Of COM
merce. The passengers and crews Of
merchantmen no longer walk the plank.
pushed to death by pirates. Ocean trav-
ell is safe, except for the accidents NO
human laws can prevent. And yet, OBJ
serves the Denver Post, at one time the
pirate was more numerous than the
train robber and train wrecker in this
country. The people OF certain bar
barous countries, whose seas were trav-
ersed by the ships Of the world, regard
ed piracy as their most gallant occupa-
ton. And desperate men, with grudge
against civilization, waged war on the
innocent carriers of commerce and the
travellers that ventured a sail from one
port to another.
But finally piracy on the high seas be-
came a crime against the civilized
world. The pirate knows that not only
the warships of the country whose YES
sells he robs will pursue him, but that
the navies of the whole world will join
in the chase International law means
everything to the traveller on the deep.
He is protected not alone by the coun-
try whose flag the ship flies, but by the
united power of civilization. Not only
the passenger on the ship, but the ship
pers of the goods and treasure it carries
and the owners of the vessels are pro-
tected from piracy by international law.
What international law means to the
ocean commerce of the world federal law
means, or ought to mean. to the vast
traffic and travel ON railways in this
country. The lives Of the millions Of
passengers ought not to be denied any
means of protection that can be en-
ployed.
Recently dynamiters threatened to
wreck trains unless the railway COM
panies paid them blackmail. The rail-
way companies, in one case at least, kept
the threat secret and thousands of
passengers rode unconscious Of the ter
rible danger. A number Of attempts to
wreck trains have taken place. The
train robber is bad enough, but the train
wrecker is diabolical. He is as near the
iend incarnate As man can get. He de-
serves no mercy. Death is too good for
him. The train wrecker should be
stamped out. It ought to be made as
sure death to wreck or rob train as to
attack and loot . ship. The way to do
1t is to make attacks on the lives of rail-
way passengers an offense against the
federal laws. with pursuit by United
States officers and the army. II neces-
sary, and with trial in United States
court and with death meted out by the
heavy and memorable hand Of the ma
tional power.
1t is well known that criminals fear
the federal laws and authority more
than the state laws. The element Of To-
cality does not exist in the United States
court Moreover, the United States Of
flcers are not handicapped by lack Of
means. The United States government
can pursue an offender to the end Of the
earth. The United States is power.
vast, impersonal. inexorable-and tho
criminal fears it because he respects
1t. The United States has constitution
al power over interstate commerce, and
1t il exercising that authority over the
railway tariffs at this time. Surely, the
lives Of passengers are ~ important as
the freight rates. Why not place those
lives-so far as protection from the
train wrecker and train robber Is con-
cerned-under the strong hand Of the
United States? Why not act at once?