The leader., 1905-07-26
JUDGE COCHRAN'S
STIRRING CHARGE.
TO THE LAUDERDALE COUNTY GRAND
JURY.
The Fight Against Crime and Crimi-
nails Must Go On Duty
Of Good Citizens.
THE YAGRANT Law AND WHAT IS
EXPECTED OF IT.

Gentlemen of the Grand Jury
Il shall not waste the time OF
the court by reading to you the
numerous statutes in the crimi-
nal code in labored effort to
teach you the law. You already
without any assistance from the
Court, sufficiently understand
the law. If a man steals your
horse, you know it is larceny; if a
man breaks into your house in
the Nighttime and robs it, you
know it is burglary; if a man
kills another in the heat of pas
sion, and not in malice, you
know tits manslaughter; if a man
kills another without authority o1
law, and in malice, you know it is
murder. / am more concerned
about getting you to understand
the origin, nature and mission OF
crime, and in stimulating in you
an unalterable determination tc
enforce the law. 1t occurs to me
that the people do not under
stand the origin of crime and its
design, or there would not be sc
many difficulties in the way Of
enforcing the criminal law. Now
you and each of you are con
scious that two antagonistic
forces are constantly knocking al
the doors of your heart, striving
for the mastery of your life and
character; the one suggesting
that you do good, and the other
that you do evil; one of these
forces is inspired by God, anc
the other by the devil. You and
each of you are entirely con
scious that your habits and life
are good or bad, just as yor
yield yourself up to the mastery
and control of either of these
forces.
God not only gave man a sys
tenn of moral government, but {
system of civil government as
well. The criminal law is found
ed upon and taken from the Bi
BILE, and in. the main is declared
in the Ten Commandments. A
wise and just administration o.
the criminal law is nothing more
nor less than Gods government
on earth through man, and if rig
idly and uncompromisingly en-
forced would very much liker
the government of earth to the
government of heaven. 1t takes
no cognizance of a mans inward
thoughts and intentions, anG
does not touch him until his
evil thoughts ond purposes, sug
gested by the devil, are mani
tested in his actions. Crime
then, is simply the devil in hu
man action, and the criminal Law
was designed and intended tC
subjugate the devil In human
conduct. God, in his wisdom
has placed this solemn responsi
bility upon man, and he cannot
shirk it without suffering dire
consequences. God will never
de anything for man that he car
do for himself, and if man vii
not use his appointed agencies
and instrumentalities for the
subjugation ofthe devil, he sim
ply stands aside on theprinciples
Of mans free moral agency, anc
permits the devil to run the
country. The devil totes all the
pistols, runs all the blind tigers
and gambling hells, does all the
stealing, commits all the PERU
ry, presides over every den q.
vice, shame and infamy, breaks
open your homes IN the night
time and commits all the muir
ders. The devil is the father d.
all suffering, has enforced every
tear Of agony and pierced the
human heart with every pang o.
remorse and despair.
Every time / stand my LITTLE
1-year old boy on my knees anC
look into his innocent face anC
smiling brown eyes and remem
Der that he must run the gaunt
let of the despoilers, snares ant
temptations, I feel like renewing
my official pledge to use all of mi
official power and authority t
drive the devil out of the land
If / could gather together all TIKI
blind tigers, gambling hells ane
dens of infamy and shame thal
are preying upon the lives, NOR
ais and souls Of the boys ant
young manhood Of this city,
would tumble them an into thf
face of the devil iii hell, where
they belong Any father wht
ever relents iii bis efforts to de
stroy these agencies Of the devi
is not only traitor to God anr
his country, but he is d traitor *
bis offspring ats well: God i plan
70 subjugate the devil contem.
plates the coop peration of man.
and Is ilaopefa alive as long as man
Is inactive or tangled up with Tho
devil. The luggard who folds