The daily Nome industrial worker., 1917-08-25
THE ASSAULT CASE.

The Industrial Worker had in tended to comment and to comment quite strongly upon the decision of the Couusl in the matter of Griffith versus NeilIay as apparently condo ming officials taking the law into the.r own hands. But as We have been informed that future action by tho council will he taken not wholly foreign t0 tne incident, VIC may regard is as closed.
 It is ro4retJable that clearer and nor. intelligent view Of in- sulalg expressions made use Of by individuals it. aaars..s not at taa .. 1.a ~ae 3## ,aaauaae sueh as k a.a-a4 <. aara us.a as.a in th.. es .a....s aa aa ,o g-atlfy tAe.r oaA W,s.ul and E.Hdiatire fea.:aas q. #.. as t5 aort the feel fues Q. -a.s wagm tH,E conceive 10 be reads ta a.e as ignorant view of sach Nrr-stoa as themselves. Now ar 10 stretch of .magnation much Iass intelligent consideration are such expressions to be consia- cred as . reelection upon ones pro genitors.
 The idea is to hurt bg appealing to the ignorant passions of those to whom such are directed whereas their use is an unfailing sign of a harrow. spitefuI, ignorant and shal- law mentality and the conception that such narrow spireful and win dtctive mentalities as use them are doing anything else but exposing the malice Of an evil and ignorant mind is too ridiculous to be any thing else than contcmptible.
 Really the system of ethics that feels called upon to physically re sent it is the ethical idea of the caveman, still wonderfully popular and much in evidence when the re version to type is aided by the sti- mulus of alcohol And it is true enough that it is the ignorance of public opinion which sanctions a resort to violence in such cases that it required high degree of moral cour- aga to refuse to falter in ones self control before such opinion. It is easv enough to obey the impulse which will be nothing more or less than the faint hearted obedience to the tyrannical mandate ot 2ooa pub lie opinion, for it requires only a certain degree of animal courage to engage in any such a resentment. It is 10 easy matter to obey the dictates of ones reason and inteIIg- euce in the face of public opinion and to exercise self control through moral courage that is rare enough. But it is for this Very reason that 1t should be insisted upon in police officers regardless of the degree of proyocation to which they may conceive themselves to be subjected, and any failure to do so while it may not justify removal, most certainly justfes official ccnsure.
 These are generalizations appro- priately suggested by the case just now closed. Granted that MT. Nelly was subjected to extreme provoea- ton even then, there was no iusti- hcation for a failure to exercise a self control and that, too, if for no other reason than to maintain the peace as police officer sworn to do so. He should have taken into GUS tody the man who cs he alleges of fended him with abusive and insult ing language and in doing so would have performed a much more cOur- ageous act than in attacking him aa shown.
 This is written with every allow ance for the feelings of both par ties to the controversy Really it is not Mir. Nelly nor Mir. Griffith who come out Of this investigation sev- erely to he condemned but the city council which refused to consure even while removal would have been too severe. To scy that they are not combining the action of any officer taking the law into his own hands whom failing to take cogniz- ance of the evidence that he did, is only to suggest an alternative opin-