Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-06

In the case of judges having q life
tenure, indeed, their very independence
makes the right freely to comment on
their decisions of greater Importance,
because it is the only practical and
available instrument in the hands of
free people to keep such judges alive
to the reasonable demands of those
they serve.
ION the other hand, the danger of
destroying the proper influence of ju
dicial decisions by creating unfounded
prejudices against the courts justifies
and requires that unjust attacks shall
be met and answered Courts must Ill
timately rest their defense upon the in
herent strength of the opinions they
deliver as the ground for their conclu-
sions and must trust to the calm and
deliberate judgment of all the people
as their best vindication."
Criticism of Judges.
There is one consideration which
should be taken into account by the
good people who carry sound prop
osition to an excess in objecting to any
criticism of judges decision. The in
stinct of the American people as a
whole is sound in this matter. They
will not subscribe to the doctrine that
any public servant is to be above all
criticism. If the best citizens, those
most competent to express their judg-
ment in such matters, and, above all,
those belonging to the great and hon
nr.oI, Of he he,
foundry influential in American life,
take the position that there shall be no
criticism of a judge under any circum-
stances, their view will not be accepted
by the American people as whole. In
such event the people will turn to and
tend to accept as justiiable the intern
perate and improper criticism uttered
by unworthy agitators. Surely it is a
misfortune to leave to such critics a
function, right in itself, which they
are certain to abuse. Just and temper
ate criticism, when necessary, is a
safeguard against the acceptance by
the people as whole of that intern
perate antagonism toward the jul
dietary which must be combated by
every right thinking man and which, if
it became widespread among the peo-
pie at large, would constitute dire
menace to the republic.
Lynehing.
In connection with the delays of the
law l call your attention and the at
tention Of the nation to the prevalence
of crime among us, and, above all, to
the epidemic of lynching and mob vio-
lence that springs up, now in one part
section, north, SOUTH east or west, has
its own faults. No section can with
wisdom spend it's time jeering at the
faults Of another section. 1t should
be busy trying to amend it's own short
comings. To deal with the crime of
corruption it is necessary to have an
awakened public conscience and to
supplement this by whatever iegisla-
ton will add speed and certainty in the
execution Of the law. When we deal
with lynching even more is necessary.
A great many white men are lynched,
but the crime is peculiarly frequent in
respect to black men. The greatest ex-
listing cause of lynching is the perpe-
tration, especially by black men, of
the hideous crime of rape, the most
abominable in all the category of
crimes, even worse than murder. Mobs
frequently avenge the commission of
this crime by themselves torturing to
death the man committing it, thus
avenging in bestial fashion bestial
deed and reducing themselves to a
level with the criminal.
Lawlessness grows by what it feeds
upon, and when mobs begin to lynch
for rape they speedily extend the
sphere of their operations and lynch
for many other kinds of crimes. so that
two-t thirds Of the lynchings are not for
rape at all, while considerable pro
portion of the individuals lynched are
innocent of all crime Governor Can
idler of Georgia stated on one occasion
some years ago, Il can say of verify
that l have within the last month saw
ed the lives of half dozen innocent
HeSEOeS WHO were puTSueu ny the MOI
and brought them to trial in a court OF
| a law in which they We're acquitted
AS Bishop Galloway of Mississippi has
finely said: when the rule of moi
! obtains, that which distinguishes a
| high civilization is surrendered The
mob which lynches negro charged
with rape will in little while lynch q
white man suspected of crime. Every
| Christian patriot in America needs tc
| lift up his voice in loud and eterna
protest against the mob spirit that is
threatening the integrity of this re
public" Governor Jells of Alabama
has recently spoken as follows: 1.-The
lynching of any person for whatever
crime is inexcusable anywhere 1t is q
defiance of orderly government. Bu1
the killing of innocent people under
any provocation is infinitely more hor
rible, and yet innocent people are like
| ly to die when a mob's terrible lust is
once aroused. The lesson is this: NJ
good citizen can afford to countenanct
defiance of the statutes, no matter
| what fine prOyoca tion The innocpn