The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-03-20

sound truth IN an editorial, Of which,
the part not tinged with partisanship
The Sun quotes. The Commercial
Appeal. let us preface. oyerlooks the
important fact that lawlessness I'M
Kentucky had practically ceased un-
der military surveillance before the
Reelfoot Lake murder, and that
would never have occurred had Gov
|ernor Patterson taken as vigorous
steps as Governor Wilson did, and,
needing the cry from GAINESVILLE, sent
soldiers to protect the citizens of his
state. before the spirit of outlawry
found its true expression in the as
sassination OF Quentin Rankin. Gov
ernor Patterson was responsible for
that murder.
Now We quote from the CONNER
cial-Appeal:
1.-THE night riders of Kentucky
have resumed spring lawlessness by
|scraping tobacco beds in Christian
county and by doing the same thing
in the eastern end OF the state.
at is also reported that they are
preparing for a season of lawlessness
in Galloway county.
at looks as IL the torch. the shot
gun and the mask will again be
brought into play as evidences of
their contempt for law.
"The state of Kentucky should put
down these night riders and suppress
this lawlessness. or go out of the bust
ness of self-government, surrender
its charter and ask for an admins
traitor.
Tennessee caught the night-rider
infection from Kentucky. To the
north il spread from Kentucky into
Ohio and Indiana. Il
Politics and not the tobacco Trust
is responsible for the recrudescenceo of
this deviltry. The American nobaccoi
company was an industrial tyrant, re-
morseless and unfeenng, bit the first
night riding was not fight against
the tobacco trust, but a crime against
the law.
''In the confusion, Kentucky poll
ticians and officeholders were either
too ignorant or too cowardly to draw
a distinction for fear of being de-
nounced as minionsl of the trust. snl
"They refused to condemn the
night riders and failed to put down
the machinery of the law into motion.
1.-The movement spread like a for
est FIRE in October, and before the
thoughtful and law-loving men were
aroused this newborn species of law
lessness had become a favorite diver
sion.
Half dozen men were caught fin
ally and put on trial at Murray.
There was no conviction.
ain Kentucky, politicians have
been fighting over Offices and the
spells Of Office, and in these fights
they have played to the lawless ele-
ments for support.
'Tn Tennessee, many o. our poll
ticians have been carrying on a ven
delta. and many of our officeholders
and would-be officeholdcrs are so
eager in forwarding their own fort
unes that they devote little time to
duty, unless the discharge of duty
will quickly lead to some personal
benefit for themselves.
Everybody talks for law and or
der until he is personally involved
and then he becomes a law to him
self.
Gases and issues are tried in
courts. not upon their merits, but are
pleaded and fought out along the po-
litical lines of the contending forces.
Good men bewail the hack of re-
Ispect there is for the law The law
is not in disrepute. The law is the
same today as it was yesterday and
II will be the same forever because
il is founded upon a principle of ex-
act justice, but the contempt is for
many of those who are charged with
administering IL, and the lack of re-
lspect that men show is brought about
because those who are charged with
the administration of the law do not
themself command respect. Some
are either lawless themselves or so
inefficient that instead of holding up
the arms of justice they tie her hands.
Men in Office talk much. but their ef--
fort for the law ends in talk
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