The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-07-13
CURLING THE WAVE OF CRIME

we wrote the head that way to
make Il alliteratlve. AS a matter OF
fact, we never saw a curb that would
At a wave, or a wave that would fit
curb. And we have seen some curbs
and some waves. But you know what
we mean.
The Star has been compilmented
quite a few for it's comments and
criticisms on recent legal events. We
haven't criticized as much as the sub
ject deserved, nor as much as We
would have liked to do. But we have
criticised some, and we like to be
praised by good citizens so we hope
they will not take II hardly of us
when we tell them that it is princi-
pally their fault that the laws are lax
and the courts and officers are cor
rupt
The average good citizen (the bad
one knows better) expects the law to
enforce itself, or the officers to exceed
their powers and duties in enforcing it.
Nine times out of ten, to tell the i'm
polite truth about 1t, he is too coward
ly or too lazy to do his very obvious
share in enforcing 1t. II he is wrong
ed himself, he sometimes, not always.
takes steps to be righted; but very sell
dom indeed will he spend time or dol
lars to right the wrongs OF his neigh
bors.
He may know some almost open
transgression is going on in his neigh
borhood, but unless Ii directly harms
or Inconvenience him he will not
swear out a warrant against the Of
fender He may express himself In
dignantly with a neighbor, but he will
not tell the sheriff or policeman. for
fear of being summoned as a witness
And he lodges jury duty with greater
assiduity than he lodges the devil.
An officer has no right to arrest a
man without a warrant unless he
catches him in the act of committing
a crime. If he arrests on suspicion
he arrests at his own risk. A prescott
ing attorney can't convict and a judge
can't sentence without evidence; and
with the evidence they stand q mighty
poor chance without good jurors.
It Is the fashion to abuse the law
yers who confine themselves to Grim.
inal practice. No matter how deprav'
ed or desperate a criminal may be, hi
has a right to the best lawyer he car
obtain. His right in this respect can
mot be infringed without infringing OF
'the rights of good citizens. 1t is per.
fectly right for lawyer to take the
; case OF any criminal, and having taker
! it, he is derelict to his duty If he doe!
not do his best to clear his client
is not only business with him blu
principle.
No matter how shrewd a lawye
may be, nor, for that matter, how un
principled. he could seldom clear
criminal whom a grand jury had in
dicted IL 1t was not for the persisten
lodging of jury duty by the bette
class of citizens. Bullying, browbeat
ing, attempts to mislead and confuse
would do an attorney more harm thai
good with six or a dozen representa-
tive farmers, merchants, mechanics o
professional men. First-class jury ma
terial would reform all the lawyer
that need reforming in a hurry.
1t Is true that the courts are loade
down with technicalities, but tina
again Is the fault of the good either
who makes no effort to elect legisla
tors pledged to reform the abuse.
1t Is often said, and with much trutf
that the courts do nearly all thei
work with the poor and ignorant, an
that negroes are railroaded to the per
for acts that a white man isn't modest
ed for.
IL a couple of policemen or deputie
learn there is going to be era
game. nine times out Of ten they ca
obtain the evidence, and the gambler
go on the hard roads. If they suspec
a bunch of white men are gamblin
for heavy stakes, they find the force
of society lined up against them;
they persist, they get themselves dis
liked by the element most powerful
put them out of office. Here agai
comes in the good citizen who think
he has a right in his own or hi
friends home to social game, wit
bets to make 1t interesting.
Personally, the writer thinks the ne
gro turpentine hand has as much RICH
to bet his wages al skin or "craps
as his boss has to bet his profits a
poker. or as a society lady has to be
gloves at bridge; and he thinks it
wrong to interfere with any of then
But the law is the law, and the goo
citizen should make it apply equally c
abolish 1T.
Here in Marion county We have a
good a chance for justice as anywher
in the world. We have an exceptional
ly good class of officers. They are nc
perfect, of. course; but so far as tn
Star can they come nearer don
their full duty than their fellow cit
zens come to backing them up in i
Not that the citizenry of Marion, /
this particular, shows to a disadvant
age compared to that of anothe
county-it is above the average. Bu
1t could do right smart better tina
iS