The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-08-09
ON WAITING FOR vERDTCTs.

! ne ItoAu0he lines Is accustomed 10 NTite
with such a passion of conviction that its utter
ances, without pretenson in themselves, take on
an oracuIar tinge. 1t therefore induces a sense
of something uncanny to surprise this very hui
man contemporary in an entirely human incon-
For instance, on the same page of a
recent issue we discover two editorials, in one
of which is disclosed fragrant example of the
very fault that in another is attacked with almost
heat.
To Illustrate: Writing Of the delicious satire
held in the boycott of Hearst by the Federation
of Miners, the Times truthfuly sketches that
more or less illustrious demagogue's appeals to
class prejudice contrasting his Indictment of
labor TO burn and pillage other employers with
his own stand when his own employees went on
strike for higher wages and shorter hours. To
make thorough job of the matter in hand, the
brilliant editor pauses to disclaim sympathy with
the Federation of Miners, people who call them
selves socialists and really are anarchists, and
saysa
Eve notice they vet have as presl
dent a man named Meyer whom we
take to be the same who should have
been hanged for the assassination of
Governor Steunenberg
Il
tion for the under dog prompts a defense OF
Richard Achilles Ballinger, who is counseled tc
die in his tracks before he shall resign, and con
corning whom the statement is made:
Packs of writers and cartoonists of
various grades and degrees are loosed
on his trail. If these people had their
way he would be driven out of Office
disgraced and ruined man before even
the investigation committee, the Jury
sitting on his supposed offense and
which heard the>evidence, has reported.
This is lynch law of the worst kind.
We have not one bit more respect for
newspaper and magazine mob which
DESTROYS a mans character than street
mob which hangs man on a telegraph
pole in advance of the decision of the
courts"
In the light Of these two statements we invite
the exercise of we'll known adroitness to recon
Gle the lynch law by which Meyer, despite tht
verdict of jury clearing him of the crime fo1
which he was indicted, is yet held up as al
assassin who should have been nung and tht
denuncation of Ballinger in advance of the re
port of the jury in whose hands his case is placed
We have no doubt that the trick can somehow
De Uone- anu Ne are PioihieA W stdHu ny ant
cheer when it is pulled off. All the same, if the
Times has not in these two articles convicted it
self of something or other, we would like to know
how and why not
As a matter of fact we quite agree with the
general propositions laid down by the Times il
both the editorials in question. Newspapers anc
magazines especially the cult of the muckrakers
are all too ready to condemn anybody and any
thing before trial or hearing, or even in spite Of
the verdict when rendered. We are quite ready tt
concede that the testimony in the Meyer cast
was Of a character to convince every impartia
mar, who read it of the guilt of the accused. Or
the other hand, we are quite ready 20 conced'
that, we're the case against Ballinger confined t.
the disionted and unintelligible evidence adj
duced from the mass of testimony given before
the investigating committee, the Times w,ulc
be entirely right in advising suspension of pub
lie opinion until the findings shall be announced
But when Ballinger's entire attitude is taker
into consideration; when it becomes apparent
that the actions under criticism were invariably
those benefting his personal clients; when his in
temperance of speech, his too-careful deceit arr
taken into account; when it is further remem
bered that the findings of the committee arr
only technically dubious but have in reality beer
thoroughly discounted ever since the COMMITTEES
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