The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1914-02-26
rHE DEATH OF nENro>.

There seems to lao M room, FOR
question that the execution NJ BENTON.
" that term can re applied +" il. was
n brutal and unwarrantei act. how
eVer Villa NAV tempt to 'usiFr II,
Moreover it was highly ineHpedi"nt.
ana the at was committed In surh =
r,anne as to indicate that Villa lost
rl control Of himself and welded 10
the Impulse ~ passion in a name
utterly inconsistent with til" roise
whleh We have a right To expect ~ =
MAN commanding armies. and expect
Rug Nv have n large share in tho or
Ganlss.lcn RI a national government.
II may he possible for Villa - make
n technical defense ot his action
%hlch cann"t he surresstullv attack
cd. Benton is Admitted to have been
hct tempered. 1t is NOT questioned
that ha visited villa TO remonstrete
ugelnst the depredations committed
by Villa. followers. II ia rot unlike
~ th,t he d%tsrlaved aon,e heat during
thc Interview. II ls possible that he
~sctuallv attacked Villa in 2 murder
ssus manner. Some Of these things
are known. others are merely assert
ed. and we may never nov inst what
the facts are.
The commander OF an arn1y. evan
though the h%elligerency nt his party
;,ae NOT been offcial,v recognized. Is
conceded large powers. and under
.s,~Ittir~n u,rt, no t,nco rFlsinh ncict
IN Mexico We mas expect Justice. or
what passes for II. to No meted out
IN n somewhat summary manner But
tae poor Judgment shown by Villa. as
tnun,iny slI his assertions to re truth
..tuI. is in putting the man TO death.
or causing him ~ ma nut tn death.
:rnder such circumstances that his art
couid not ne property reviewed by inn
partial men. and the Justice of the
~verdict Of Death to established before
The world.
Benton is eaid TO have h.rn tried
rs . ecurtr,arttal. We have only
hiS own assertion and that Of his par
tisane for the impartial nature OF
that tribunal or the suficlency Of the
evidence against the accused tna1r.
II villa had been a man of we'll bal
,snced Judgment he would have re-
allied that tire success Of his party
depended quite largely on the innpres-
sion made bv Its act which might be
nisccnstrued. and would haze sought.
~ ever, means in his power. to inn
eress outsiders with a sense of his
fairness and largeness Of spirit. A
different impression would have been
created il. without e%onredinE the
sight cf a foreign government To In
eerfeYe. a Eritiah consul or an An,eri-
car consul had beer requested 10 at
end the trial 81 Benton. to ascertain
all the facts possible before and at the
trial. and IL, convince himself that ev-
nrvthinr was conducted fairly.
Ana. in any event. the execution Of
foreigners under the present condi-
'acns te pretty ticklisb business. Ben.
ton wse accused of having coDspir-
I'd with the enemies ~ tho constitu-
~ficnal,s, cause. Possibly he had done
&c. II that rer~ shown I've could
i,sv. been escorted 10 the frontier, or
he could have been imprisoned sn
that he could do no harm by his AZ
-ivitr. An act 81 that kind would
have commanded outside respect by
Ste cnrsid era1i"r. ami WOULD ha~e
benefited tbs cpnstitut;onalist cause
Infinitely more thar the showing
down # = regiment ~ r~lotters could
have done Ey hts handling Of this
affair Villa. to- make the most mod
crate staterner1 possible concerning it,
has mad. a deplrrah1e hlunder.
UNLOCKING 4 LoNG-NEGITITED
EMPIRE.