The Bowbells tribune. [volume] (Bowbells, Ward Co., N.D.) 1899-1969, 1918-11-22
SCORES THE LOYAL
Law v|OLAT0RS

In sentencing A. w. McMasters.
confessed writer OF the famous Pa:-
terson "seditious" letters, judge~%C.
F. Amidon of the Federal court for
| North Dakota took occasion to nay
his respects to the law yiolators who
resort to almost every crime on tho
calendar in the name Of patriotism.
In the attempt to blacken the names
politically.
In answering questions propound-
ed from the bench. McMasters said
that he conceived the idea of forg-
ing the letter not only to harm his
opponent, Mr.. Patterson, but to
damage Governor Frazier and the
other league candidates. "'''
$50 you hit upon this scheme. ex-
pecting that the letter would come"
back, get into the hands of someone
and be punished, and that before the
forgery was discovered you would
be elected and Mr.. Patterson de-"
feated?" inquired Judge Amidon.
"Yes." answered the prisoner.
"And you thought that you were
justified because you thought the
league and Patterson were danger
GUS to the welfare Of the state and
nation?"
"Yes." "'
And you thought that you had
right to resort to forgery and ,
falsehood because of the good you
would accomplish"
"Yes."
"You are not the arst man who
h0 ok khAk
Judge Amidon continued. Down
in southern Illinois citizens acting
under the guise of patriotism. took
out an innocent man (Robert Pra-
ger, who had bought Liberty Bonds
OF each issue and tried to enlist)
and hung him to a post.
Down In Cincinnati they took
out one of the finest of Ohio's able
men (Herbert s. Bigelow. minister
and president of the Ohio constitu-
tional convention in 1912 and
horsewhipped him because he had
views which differed from theirs.
"There is a big group Of people
who think they have the right to
resort to any crime and any practtcs
to defeat a man who differs with
them. Many Of this group are do
ing this in the name Of patriotism
in the name of war that 70 being
fought to make democracy safe II
Europe.
"You stand before this court sfm-
ply as a representative Of thfs elase.
You were thrown OF your balance,
l suppose, to some e1tent: you thot
people to whom you were opposed
were dangerus; you resorted to con-
temtible lies and forgery to. blast
the good name of an innocent man.
That's how all crimes which
darken the blackest pages of history
were committed; the perpetrators
made a truce with their conscleucs
with the thought that they were
acting In the name OF God and their
country. They carried their con-
victions to any length-hanglng or
burning at the stake.
1T seems strange that the begin
ming of the twentieth century when
we are engaged In he most heroic
war in history, that men will be for
getful of teachings Of right and
honesty; because you thought some-
one was doing something dangerous,
you resorted to this hideous act.
II cannot think of your crime a.
o. slight one. It is as dastardly q
crime as has been brought before
this court in many a day. The let
ter was cleverly written to accom-
plish the ends you desired; 1t could
not have been the work Of an impul-
sive moment; forgery 10 not crime
Of impulse.
"You are sentenced to servo three
years in the federal nenitentiary at
Fort Leavenworth ON each OF ha
four counts to which you have Plead
ed guilty. the sentence to run eou-
currently"
w. g. s.