The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-10-25
LEX TALIONIS

publicly accused Mr.. Roosevelt 0<G
burglarizing his wardrobe. We 49,
pose he has decided To put stop To
such proceedings. If possible, by ap-
| pealing to what the lawyers call the
lex talionis. which. we will explain
TO those OF our readers who are
not familiar with Latin phrases used
in the old law books. means the Law
of retaliation-an eye for an eye, a
tooth for a tooth. a life for life.
Those who remember the severe
criticism Mr.. Roosevelt made ON the
decision OF a federal Judge which diff
fered from his views in regard TO
the antitrust law will see the appli-
! cation OF our remarks TO the fol-
! lowing declaration made by Mr.. Bry-
an to a Charlotte newspaper man:
II is necessary to have some out
rageous action to awaken public *
| tention and Judge Pritchard seems to
supply enough OF this outrageous aSr
| tion to furnish an object Iessio1<(N
refusal 10 allow Vhe books OF theF1
road TO be examined raises the susbC-
ion that he knows more about what
the books would show than the gen
eraI public would know. 4
When the president so harshly'
criticised-in fact denounced-the
action Of that federal judge in decid-
ing against the government he was al
most as severely criticised by the press
of the country, democratic and re-
publican: but We have not yet seen
a single criticism in the democratic
press of Mr.. Bryan's charge that
Judge Pritchard's decision was an
outrageous action and his plain ia
timation that the judge was aCtuatcG
by corrupt motives in deciding as ne
did
Does any man i'm this state believe.
as Mr.. Bryan intimated. that Judge
Pritchard decided that question as
he did for the purpose OF shielding
the Southern railroad from disclos-
ures il did not wish TO be made aud
which the Judge knew or had rea-
son to think would be made il the
investigation of the books was al
If there are any individuals or any
newspapers in this state who think
Judge PritChard was actuated by
such motives they should have the
honesty and the manhood TO coAA
out in the open and say so. Y
need not be afraid Of being sen
jail for contempt OF court, for JhNe
Pritchard settled that question in the
proceedings before him in which
he kept the editor OF The News and
Observer from being imprisoned for
most scurrilous and infamous ed
itorial assault on another federal
court judge.
Do the people of the state concur
in Mr.. Bryan's intimation-so stroag
that it amounts to a direct charge
that Judge Pritchard acted corrupt
ly in his decision on the point as to
how far back the books OF the South
attorneys? We say acted cor
ruptly, for it cannot be denied that
he acted corruptly IL he cut the time
down because he knew what the
books would show" If the fhv8 8tA
tion was extended and that II %ouN
hurt the railroad.
We are surprised that Mr.. Bryan
should have made such a grave mis-
take. Before discussing the ques-
tion he should have informed himself
as to the estimation in which Judge
Pritchard is held in this state. Had
he taken the trouble TO make such
an inquiry he would never have made
such a charge, for he would have
known that his unwarranted attack
would meet with disapproval frss
all fair minded men in the state. ir-
respective Of party affiliations Mr.
Bryan made grave mistake in this
personal attack on an honest and
honorable member of the federal ia
dietary, and the patent fact that
his sole purpose in doing 80 was to
pander TO what he enormously CON
ceived to be the popular sentiment
in the state cannot but lower hiHs
in public estimation.