The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-01-14

HAS WRITTEN 1T HIMSELF
It is not worth while to argue with |
the editor Of the Tampa Times, who |
with a few other dreary-witted per
sons condemns the speedy trial and |
conviction Of a brute who had dis
honored a woman. Wading labori- |
ousIy thru the half a column or more
of words that he wrote, doubtless 10 |
his own great dedication, for the |
Times on Monday, we fail to find any |
thing worth answering. He reiterates |
his assertions. and makes some more |
assertions, and fortifes them with the
approval Of a friend doubtless as il
lustrious as himself. In another place,
he rears back on his dew claws and
says, "to those who were so dull Of
perception as to misconstrue what We
said we desire to offer no eXplana-
ton" This was probably intended to
offend somebody, but it is really
funny. After taking no end Of pains
| to confirm everybody in their first
opinion Of what he plainly said, he
| speaks Of misconstruct' on. In his first
article he denominates the court of
the fifth judicial circuit as a mob, and
| in the second he says that that was
what he meant Entirely too dense to
see that he misconstrues himself, he
thinks others can misconstrue him. If
lit was worth while, we would reprint
his article, as his own best refutation.
He speaks of his legal training of
many years, leading his readers to
suppose he is a lawyer We suspect
THAT his legal attainments are on
par with those of a certain Dogberry,
who was celebrated by Shakspere
some hundreds of years ago. There is,
however, one great difference between
Dogberry and the editor Of the Times
I-Dogberry lamented because he had
not been written down an ass, while
the editor of the Times has writ him
self down an ass.
Justice to our courts and people as
we'll as a very fair expression of pub
lie sentiment is shown in the follow
ing from the Tampa Tribune:
An UntenabIe Position
In the opinion of the Tribune, its
afternoon neighbor makes a serious
mistake when it attacks the procedure
of the circuit court of Marion county
in the prompt disposition of the case
of the negro rapist, and describes it
as "lynching under the forms Of law"
There would be small hope of avoid
scribed to such views
The Marion county case was an ex-
, tremeIy aggravated one. Hillsborough
county gave a similar example re-
Gently, which, although not quite so
expeditions as the Ocala case, was to
all intents and purposes similar in
purpose and particulars.
| The Tribune believes that the only
method of preventing lynchings in this
state is the method adopted by Hills
borough county, in the case of Ander
son, and by Marion county, in the case
of the negro Johnson. Delaying such
> plain and conclusive cases merely
fans public discomfort with the pro-
; cedure of the courts. 1t opens numer-
Gus possibilities for the miscarriage
of justice through the escape of the
: prisoner or other means of thwarting
: the law. 1t is the history of serious
crimes in Florida that, when the trial
is delayed and the court procedure in
! terrupted by frequent technicalities,
, the criminal nearly always escapes
proper punishment. One instance of
the prompt and direct action of the
courts, the speedy imposition of the
law, is worth much to the state in the
prevention of mob outbreaks and sim
liar outrages.
We do not agree with the Times
: when it says that it would have pre-
ferred lynching at the hands of the
mob rather than the trial and convic-
tion in circuit court. We do not think
any good citizen of Florida will agree
with the afternoon paper on that
, proposition Florida was spared a
Iynching in this case, only through
the confidence of the people in the
promise of the officials that there
would be a speedy trial That promise
was carried out and the negro has
been duly convicted and sentenced and
will be executed next Wednesday,
That, to the mind of the Tribune, is
infinitely better for the good name of
the state than would have been the
spectacle of an angry mob, defying
all forms of law, wrestling the Grim
, inal from the custody of the officers
supposed to protect him and taking
his life in the usual barbarous fash
ion. This may not be the view of the
Times, but it will find itself in a sorry
minority in assuming the contrary
position.