The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-12-06
HIGH LOW AND MIDDLE JUSTICE

HIGH, LOW AND MIDDIe JOo I'VE.
During the past few weeks the coun-
try has witnessed what may well be
termed examples of the high, low and
the middle justice.
The high justice was seen in Vlr-
ginia when Beattie, one of the gilded
youths of Richmond, was convicted OF
the murder Of his wife. He was SEN
fenced to be hanged, the strongest
pressure was brought upon the gov
ernOr of the state to commute the
S, ntence, but he refused and Beattle
finally confessed his guilt This was
a great victory, not only for the TAR
ness of the courts, but for the home
and for social purity.
The low justice was seen at Denver
when the Patterson woman was &C
quilted of the murder Of her invalid
husband, the chief arguments IN her
favor seeming to be that she was pref
ty and unchaste That this verdict
met with storm of protest and re-
monstrance is some relief, but the
woman will doubtless soon emerge
from obscurity and edify and elevate
the vaudeville stage.
The middle justice has been seen
at Los Angeles. Here it seems that
The Mcnamara brothers, accused OF
dynamiting, were allowed to plead
guilty and that this confession OF
guilt was the result of compromise,
arranged by business men after con-
ferences between the lawyers for the
prosecution and the defense and with
the prisoners themselves. 1t seems to
us that this was eXtra-legal ana
dangerous precedent. We do not be-
lieve attorneys have the right to usurp
the jurisdiction of the courts and prac-
tically fix the penalty OF crime. 1T
is stated that if the judge does not
sentence the men in accordance with
the compromise" The plea will be
withdrawn and the case proceed to
trial. We are not lawyers enuogh to
know how this can be done, but 1t
seems farce if prisoners are allowed
to change their plea according to their
within, and if self-confessed murderers
can calmly withdraw their confession
and force the state to prove that
which they have already admitted.
We are glad the Mcnamara broth
ers have confessed, but we should
have been much more pleased had the
case been tried and all the facts been
brought to light. At present there is
entirely too much mystery. There are
repeated hints that the confession
was made not only to save the prison
ers' necks, but to shield labor leaders
and others higher up If this is true
the state should not have allowed IL;
if it is not true, it throws an UNJUST
and lasting distrust upon all labor
leaders and upon the labor cause.
Neither is the cause OF lebor helped
by the mawkish sentimentalism OF Mr..
Lincoln Steffens who prOclaims the
McNamaras to be heroes OF labor.
We are glad to note that the labor
unions do not regard them as heroes,
hut as brutal murderers and base be-
trayers of a great organization.
There is no question but that the
cause of labor union has received
singing blow. 1t appears that they
have attacked the courts without rea-
son, that they have expressed deep
sympathy with confessed murderers,
that they have raised an immense
fund for the defense of guilty men,
all of which fund has been spent and
part OF it, it would appear, for dis
honest purpose in buying ur witnesses
and corrupting jurors. 1t raises at
once the thought that Meyer and Hey
wood, of Idaho fame, are not Vlctl'hs
end martyrs but guilty men deserving
the fate which should be melted out 10
the MCNamaraS 1t also forces the
conclusion that the cry OF 'persecu-
ton" which has been raised WEeneV
err laborites were involved by the law,
Lad no foundation except in perverted
imaginations.
No one of sane mind will believe
that the McNamaras acted lndepend-
emily and alone They had no personal
grievance. Their habitat was thou
sands of miles from the scene OF the
crimes to which they have plead
guilty. They had no personal funds
to carry out the large expenditures ior
which such cOnspiraClos called. helf
connection with the crimes could only
come through their connection WIFI.
The union. This implies that others OF
the union were involved, that they ap-
proved and advocated and paid Tor
these and the scores OF similar eX-
blossoms. This brings us to the ground
taken by Steffens that a large number
of laboring men have come to the con-
clusion that only through destructive
force can they fight their enemy, capt
tai. 1t implies that this union, this
particular union, let us be understood,
aided and abetted and paid for these
outrages. In other words, that this
particular union was an organized
band of thugs and nihilists and muir
derers. like charge has been prov
en- against the transfers union OF chi
cago and there are many evidences
that this appeal to force has met with
the approval of unionists in many
places. We have had some experience
in the past with the printers union