The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-07-17
PEOPLES FORUM.
The slaton-Frank Case, Georgia,

Editor Nirg1nlan:.
Sir.--I have been wanting to write
word in commentator of the sane
and conservative attitude of your pa
per on the Frank-Slaton case in
Georgia.
While the Frank case was pending
in the various appellate courts OF the
land and on its way to the Governor.
there wass a widespread, evidently
thoroughly organized. propaganda in
his behalf.
While the friends of law and order
maintained, as did The Virginian. a
discreet and careful attitude, while a
great and influential section of the
press and people waited patiently on
the due processes of law. as the case
passed slowly through the courts, an
other section OF the press and people
carried on a campaign OF abuse and
detraction of the court of trial that
was a scandal to our whole country.
AS the case advanced, stage by
stage, Through the courts. where each
and every allegation of unfairness or
prejudice was carefully weighed and
passed upon, II was attended from
court to court, by a clamorous, yoctfe-
rous, impudent mob of newspaper
tiers, thoughtless legislators.
1t Is to be remembered that this
extra judicial mob did not wait until
the case was finally heard and decided.
1t marched in serried rank beside the
prisoner to every court, and with hys-
terical outcry, berated the previous
courts and demanded favor for the
condemned.
When at last the case reached the
Governor of Georgia, NE had to face,
in his decision, this vast accumulation
Of organized opinion which made it
impossible for him to render an UNI
biassed decision. This vast avalanche
of outside influence fell upon him
and crushed his independence. Influ-
ences active, aggressive, powerful.
that would not have dared approach
court of original jurisdiction sur
rounded the Governor. They rose up
and smote him hip and thigh, and
battered him into surrender.
While the original court sat In the
secluston and quiet of regular trial.
the jury segregated, not allowed to
discuss the case outside or read the
newspapers. and the judge removed
from all influence save the influence
of the evidence and the arguments of
the counsel: the Governor took the
case and retired 1t, amid this vast
accumulation Of influence and opin-
ions, all favorable to the condemned
and scarcely voice raised in favor
of the Commonwealth.
The Governor had doubts! or course
he had doubts. Doubts engendered
by this mass of outside influence that
gathered about him and thrust itself
purposeIy and insistently on him. He
had q conscience" OF course a con
science" engendered by a vast accu-
mutation of outside sentiment ana
inside self-pity.
The natural results have followed.
Mob has answered mob. The mob
spirit that through the long months
of trial and appeal assaulted and be-
sieged every successive court, and
gathered its strength for final as
sault upon the Governor. has been
answered by the mob spirit within
the State The spirit of abuse and
detraction of the Georgia court, that
tried the case and decided it, which
has rioted up and down the land
through all these months Is the same
in spirit as that of the mob which
menacad and estsm sa.enaces the Pence
and dignity of the Commonwealth of
Georgia.
A mob of editors. preachers, legis-
lators and miscellaneous sentimental
lists, has no more right to take man
from the hands of the court and re-
lease him of his penalty. than mob
of hoodlums has right to take man
from the hands of the same court ana
punish him untried. Their spirit is
the same---a supreme contempt for the
ordinary processes of law.
OF course. nobody wants to see a
fellow creature condemned to deatn
or suffer It's penalty. And everybody
that Insists on or even suggests a rigid
administration of justice is branded
by a certain set of good folks as an
unfeeling and merciless manor
worse
But no man familiar. In the least
degree. with the appalling disregard
of human life and the prevalence of
murder In our country can view the
situation with silence. much less COM
placence. Particularly so, when every
indication points to the fact that this
unenviable record Ia the result. more
than any other one thing, Of the lax
administration OF justice among us,
and the contempt poured upon our
courts of justice by just such demon
STATIONS Ms we have seen in the last
few months eliminating In the action
of Georgia's Ex-Governor. So long as
Georgia Governors SOW the winds OF
contempt for the due processes of law.
so long will Georgia reap the whirl-
wind OF lynchng. murder and mob vio-
lence And so will every other stare
in our land.
Governor Siaton, in his fit of self
compassion, likened himself to a Gov
ernor of long ago. If me had taken
second thought he would not have
raj aaa On deadly "a naFa1fcl If ha had
thought, he would have remembered
that that former Governor, in an
swer to the cry of the mobn released
one who for "sedition and murder
had been condemned. and cruciified
incarnate Mercy and Justice, Love
X 1850 +
j. H. LIGHT.
Becker's Lawyers Consult.