The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1909-01-07
CRIME DESTROYS PROSPERITY

Judge John L. Buckley, ir
opening the Circuit Court at Me.
ridian, Miss, in the course of his
charge to the Grand Jury yester-
day, inveighed with great force
and earnestness against the pre-
valence Of violent and most seri-
GUS crimes in that portion OF
Mississippi and declared that ii
is the result Of the general activ-
ity shown by a large class Of the
people in securing the escape of
criminals from just punishment
and the Indifference on the part
Of those citizens who should raj
ly to the maintenance Of law and
order to the conditions which ex-
ist around them. He said:
When a homicide is commit
ted, ssheming and juggling be-
gin onNhe outside to create a
sentiment in favor of the accused,
the chief aim being to influence
the Grand Jury and keep down
an Indictment, and thereby throt-
tie and pervert justice. The
reason that homicides in this
country are On the increase, pc
tit juries are often. Influenced to
such an extent they wholly ig-
more the testimony and by their
verdicts and under their solemn
oaths permit murderers to escape,
conviction. It is lamentable and
regretable fact that the courts
bubble over and lay entirely too
much stress on technicalities.
They explore the shadow instead
Of the substance, and let many
guilty parties escape the Peniten-
tiary Or galIows through some
technical loophole known to the
law, without asking themselves
does the evidence warrant his
conviction and shall justice be
melted out to him?
Gentlemen, unquestionably
this is the reason that men in
this country commit murder with
perfect impunity, They are en-
boldened and encouraged to do
SO because they have three means
of escape that is, either through
the Grand jury room. Petit Jury
or Court
Meridian is the chief city Of
Mississippi, or if not In popula-
ton, it is in business activity,
and the notion is held by not a
few in all parts Of the country
that business prosperity always
attends conditions in which crime
and violations of the laws are rife
and laWless violence prevail in
the community. Holding to such
a notion, it is not to be expected
that the people will rally to any
considerable extent to maintain
public order and enforce the laws.
The people in such ca es are I'M
willing to interfere in bonalf of
peace and the protection Of soci-
ETY. for fear tn Y will shut off the
stream of prosperity.
Never was there4a more erro-
neous and foolish notion. A com
munity infested with and con-
trolled by criminals will soon
find itself in a condition of ex-
IRENE decay and decline, since it
must depend for it's existence on
commerce and industry, and
these can only flourish where
public order and proper protec-
ton are afforded them,
Judge Buckley, in the course
of his address, paid a high trib-
ute to the press, and called on it
to come to the rescue of justice
and to aid the law. His tribute
is just in the main, but what can
the press do when it opposes the
known will of the people? Who
is going to answer a clarion call
for the putting down Of crime
and the vindication of the law
when the deluded people think
they will lose money by it.
The Judge h mself deserves all
honor for the c urage with which
he denounced tee evil conditions
that surrounded him. His cour-
age and devotion to duty are dis
played at the peril of his life,
and he cannot he too hiohlv nrais-