Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-01-16
IOWA IS DISGRACED.

the fair name of Iowa at the very
beginning of the new year-a brutal
lynching has actually taken place
within it's borders, less than a
hundred miles distant from Decorah.
Ten days ago we would have thought
such thing impossible. But let
American citizens become fearful that
justice will not be meted out to all
alike, and they will go to any ex-
tremity. The foundation principles
of liberty, equality and justice are
still alive in these United States,
though at times they appear to be
sleeping. Across the borders of Floyd
county few years. ago human brute
murdered in cold blood his wife and
children, aud attempted to burn their
home over their bodies. He was cap
tured, given a fair trial by his peers,
found guilty and sentenced to be hung
The date of his execution was set for
the same day as that of an Iowa negro
Smith, convicted of much less
atrocious offense Smith, the negro,
went to his doom without hitch or
delay in the proceedings. The other,
Busse, was given reprieve two or
three times. and his execution set for a
future date. The supreme court of
Iowa affirmed his fate, he confessed
his crime, and still he was not hung.
Finally few days ago Gov. Cummins
commuted his sentence to life i'm
prisonment. At Charles City last
Tuesday a human fiend murdered in
cold blood his wife and step-son. He
was worth $50. 600 and that means
much in the matter of court Justice.
Fearing a repetition of the Busse case
a crowd of citizens with comparative
quiet and composure battered down
his cell in the county Jail. placed a
rope about his neck, led him to the
bridge which spans the river connect
ing the main street of the city, heard
him confess his crime, and in twinK-
iihS VI CyO SN uhS iiiih ihtO tiiC ali
and sent his black soul into eternity.
A twice outraged people had taken the
law into their own hands and de-
manded AN eye for an eye" And yet
it was all wrong. 1t was murder, pure
and simple, and one murder never
justifies another. The stain upon
the name of Floyd county will never
be effaced. Still there will always
be danger of repetition of the same
offense unless justice be more swift
in the process of law. Either capital
punishment should be effaced from the
statute books of Iowa. or just SEN
tence upon fairly convicted criminal
should be promptly executed.
iteration. is state without a acre OF
waste land. says the st. Paul Dis
patch. This statement, like that OF
Mark Twain's death. is greatly ex-
aggerated, but granting it. one who
traverses the state aud notes the fields
where the gaunt stalks of corn still
make protest, sees the herds Of cattle
in the fields browsing on what re-
, mains of the LEAKAGE of the stalks,
concludes that Iowa is state that has
a very large amount of wasted land.
Rarely one sees a field where the corn
had been cut and shocked, indicating
a purpose to utilize them for feed,
but the waste is only lessoned little
by feeding the stalks whole in yards,
as frequently saw being done. The
80 per cent of waste in the field feed
ing is reduced to probably 80 per cent
by the othei process. The live stock
carrying capacity of these cornfelds
is not one-tenth what it would be
were this food fully utilized Men.
tioning it to a farmer who rode a
short distance with me, his only com
ment was that it was too much work
to cut and shock the corn and then
to ran it through a cutting machine.
Well. as long as farmers take that view
of their business this and kindred
waste will continue.
| IL Governor Cummins could have
foreseen the Charles City tragedy he
would probably have permitted the
law to have taken it's course in the
Busse case. OF course, the governor
did not know and did not realize,
and he acted on the side of mercy.
but the mercy that is extended to men
who commit brutal murders is gener-
ally misplaced. Why should the state
have so much concern over brutes
who murder their own wives? Why
should they receive mere considera-
tion than thew were willing to give
those wives? The taking of life is
serious matter, but justice is still
justice, says The Cedar Rapids Re-
publican.
The school girl with the large feet
was sitting with them stretched far
out into the aisle, and busily chewing
gum when the teacher espied her.
"Mary - called the teacher sharply
eyes ma'am?p questioned the punil