Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1910-06-02

Il Il COMMONLY supposed that when
an innocent man II accused % wrong
doing the Consciousness q his inno-
eeuce supports him ard Is q great
comfort to him. 80 much so that the
tndignity offered his honor and repa-
tatiur cannot hurt his feelings. be-
cause be Is haoYed up By his con
seriousness q rectituds / DO not be-
hevv this. cannot help thinking that
an Innocent man accused OF crime
suffers lar more kceuly from the i'm
putatiOn than a guilty man does. A
man who has really committed q
crime and 10 arrested for Il suffers
fear Of punishment. but he has a feel
ing deep down IN his heart that he is
getting what he deserves. and. besides.
q man who will commit a crime Is gen
orally more careless Of what people
think about him than Is the man
whose whole life has been scrupulous
conscientious. gentle and harmless.
who has always tied 70 do right and
to avoid th- slightest injury to bis
neigh IN body or In mind. When
: nan OF this kind Is suddenly held up
70 the public as a possible murderer.
when his every action for weeks
has been misrepresented and utterly
Erafuitous falsehoods have been in
vented-when. I say. a man of this
character Is subjected 10 these acts OF
persecution. Il Is nothing short Of
tragic Injustice Is always hard TO
bear. and this Is the worst kind. for
there seems TO be no redress for idt
From journalistic standpoint the
fault does not often lie with the re-
porters. They have to 20 wher. they
are sent and do what they are told.
and the majority OF them are fntelii-
gent and honorable men. The chief
trouble comes from irresponsible
correspondents. who make UP sensa-
tional stories and telegraph them en-
tirely for the money they make out
% Il.
Underlying much OF this terrible tn
Justice Is faIlacy. namely, that the
people have a right 70 know. The gen
eral public has no right to know every
~ 80 dAaAE.s II n ETIule
has been committed the people have
a right to know only what facts are
brought out az a due and proper trial
This idea that the police. or any other
have Il right TO publish
their theories and suspicious. no mat
ter how many honorable men and
women they may dishonor. how many
hearts they may break and how many
lives they may ruin by their ignorant
Or malicious impudence Is r1onstruus.
and the intelligence Of the American
people should be able 10 devise soune
waT q puniShing such offenders.
II Is the business ot a detective TO
have suspicious. but Il is his duty %
keep his suspicious to himself. When
De- has facts sufficient 70 Justify him
let aim make his arrest. and then let
the talking come through the courts.
He has no right 20 open his mouth
about his suspicious. and any detect
I've Who does 50. or the head Of any
police force Who does 50. and thereby
oesmirches the reputation Of innocent
persons. should certainly be removed
from his ocrc-
The real root ef the natter Is tbs.
People ara too ready to think evil.
too apt n attribute the worst motive.
Az tn- psopi- arr 50 must the pr->-
%. for the highest and pgrest news
paper in the land can Gully keep a
certain distance above IT'S eonsrf,rt-
snrv- Z must give Tire news that irs
readers desire. or IL viii soou have no
readers
The persons who are most ready to
suspect others Of improperly are the
oues Who are themselves improper
The fresr We are from evil ourselves
the less inclined viii ne be to think
evil q others.