Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1916-04-04
INDUSTRY IS SUFFERING
FROM LEGAL BLACKMA|L
GOVERNMENT HARkine BACK TO
ToRTuRE.RAcK METHODS.
legal Trusts Have rexas BY the
Throat.

Editors Noie-.The following Is the fourth
u series OF articles by J. : CnliinAn. Chairman
II The Texas Economic League. on the Admins
ration Of Justice. to which sublect the League Is
iow addressing itselfl
by J. s. cullInan.
There Is scarcely a business OF any
proportion In Texas that has nos felt
he blight OF legal blackmail In one
" its many forms. Many good
,itizens as ever lived In this or any
Nher State have plead guilty TO bus.
ness crimes and paid fines. Most Of
.hsse citizens were as honest as the
members OF the Legislature who
placed the laws upon the statute
BOOKS; as capable OF understanding
light as the lawyers who wrote their
confession. and as conscientious a.
he government officials who inter.
,reted the law and imposed the fines.
There Is no greater tragedy In civil.
.ation than for an innocent man 10
confess guilt in order TO escape pris.
IN. or for a good citizen TO pay his
government q ransom In order 10
ave his property from conhscation.
and government that tolerates such
procedure will SOON wither and die.
md Il deserves 20 do so. A man who
S thief ought 10 be sent 10 jail
md business that is dishonesty
conducted ought TO be destroyed. But
honesty should neves be penalized by
aw, and government that does so
, q organized anarchy, and the men
responsible for such condition are
Incompetent servants and undesirable
.itlzens.
The methods OF torturing people
INTO a confession OF guilt we're tried
,ut in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth
Centuries. when the thumb.screw and
oillory were instruments OF law. AMI
he records OF ths day show that al.
most every one whose flesh was
peeled or whose bones we're bent BY
,hese legal influences confessed 20
nearly any crime demanded. and one
public official In the Fourteenth Cen.
fury advanced as a reason why he
should retain ofice. that he had
wunns nine thousand confessions from
s many suspects. These legal Inn
plements. reinforced by the torch.
were used In limited way In this
country until prohibited by Congress
In 1889 They haw, been condemned
as unfair. inhuman and criminal. and
ought not to be revived either through
ignorance. accident or design in any
disguised form today. The substitu.
ton Of the laws delay for tho thumb
screw. and the threat OF tremendous
penalties OR the pillory bring about
the same sort OF pain to property as
these torture racks visited upon the
people In the DAYS OF the Spanish In
lulsition. and will as quickly produce
confessions. equally as horrible
A Citizens Duty.
Texas never faced a more serious
situation. There Is no escaping the
conclusion that either the business
fabric Of this State Is rotten. legal
counsel immoral. or government Is
,yrannical. Il il for the people TO
determine where the evil lies
fully realize that a large per cent
81 the leading business men OF Texas
stand before the world today con.
tessed outlaws. and a few OF them
Justly so. for the per cent OF delin-
luents In business Is no less than
that OF any other class. but do not
believe II Is any greater. II is not
my purpose TO pass upon the guilt Dr.
innocence OF business conyicts; those
who prefer to wear stripes have my
permission 10 do so. The Leagues |
only concern Ia In the system OF Ad.
ministration OF Justice that enforces
and tolerates injustice. The subject
Is a monumental one. ami no one
mind can hope 20 fully grasp II. Hav.
ing had considerable experience In
business affairs. and having been In.
strumental in bringing to the State
considerable capital. have formed
very definite opinions and | shall now
present one OF the causes which has
seriously impressed me as contribut.
Ing largely toward defeating Justice.
Lawyers stranele Industry.
In my opinion the business inter.
ests OF this State have been victim.
lied b. ring Of corporation attor.
neys and politicians. To be more |
specific. some OF the leading corpora
ton lawyers have Texas by the
throat. and are strangllng the life out
of industry and OF government. and |
menacing the liberties OF the people.
II Is not the corporations or the bus
mess men. but dishonest and ambL I,
,ious lawyers who are throwing socl. !
ETY. into commissions and threatening |
the life OF tS nation. In this con.
clusion. | am sure have the endorse.
ment OF the worthy members Of the !
bar who feel keeniy the reproach
brought upon their profession by the
immoral conduct OF their disreputable
brethren. The professional ethics
which some OF the leading corpora.
ton attorneys. who have formed legal
trusts. practice. are reflected through.
out almost the entire legal profession. /
and the merchant. the farmer and the
laborer who come in contact with
a