Bisbee daily review., 1908-04-19
THE MAJESTY

OF. LAW.
To knowingly shield a criminal
from the legal consequences OF his
crime is to compound a felony. There
are no doubt many men who would
sacrifice life for principle, and
such men will be able to find no justi-
fication for those two sworn officers
of the law in New York who refused
to give a man up to the courts for
punishment for crime he had COM
mitted in his youth, because he had
since become a useful and splendid
member of society. Undoubtedly the
two officers are technically guilty of
the grave crime Of compromising a fell
3ny-but did they do right.
The story is an interesting one.
though common enough in the annals
of human experience, and its theme
is similar TO that which furnished the
basis for Victor Hugo's wonderful
story of Jean Vatican.
In the heat of a youthful quarrel
the nam struck his antagonist with a
brick and killed him. He escaped,
and though officers were put on his
trail he was not caught. That was
twenty-six years ago, but the law
never forgot the crime, as it never
does forget until 1t has melted out
punishment. In those twenty-six
years, however, the outcast had set
tied in another state, changed his
name, and become a good citizen; his
high character and exemplary life
won the regard of all his associates.
Then the mans aged mother. Bving
in his native townacame to her death
bed and longed to see her son. He
dared not come to her for fear of ar
rest upon a charge Of murder. But
the man made himself known TO the
court having jurisdiction over the
case, and after the court had investi-
gated the quarter Of century of his
life since the crime, it refused to
prosecute the man and also refused
to divulge his present name, so that
he might be spared the odium of so.
ciety.
Strange, almost, to say, the action
of that court has been criticised
Those whose integrity is such that
only the old law Of an eye for an
eye and a tooth for a tooth can salts
fly it are crying out that justice ought
to have taken its course in order that
the majesty of the law might have
been preserved.
The majesty Of the law is a great
thing. No man or court should light
Iy trife with it. But the majesty o.
the law is never better revealed thar
in those moments when the law de
clines to hold itself tyrant. The
man has been punished. His life ha!
been full expiation of his sin. Be
sides, could any punishment applied
by the law, either at the time of tht
commission of the act or at this late
day, ever have performed the mission
of the law better than its negligence
has? The man is useful, honorable
member of society 1t is what tht
law aims to make OF all men If mer
cy or liberty would make honest citi
zens of an criminals, government
would straightway abolish jails ant
prison yards. The law makes use o
them only when it cannot and be
cause it cannot do its work withou
them. They are an evil means to ;
good end-good oftener in the hop,
than in the fulfllment
It was the wise and the proper an,
the just thing, this shielding Of |
technical criminal, which the New
York court and public prosecutor did
They have no need to apologize L
the law for their act, and the law hai
no reason to fear for its dignity be
cause OF them.