Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1921-05-11
HUMAN SYMPATHY Is NOT DEAD.

~ MN 0lSA hshh - wv
There come times In the lives 81
men. when they witness certain sights
ana hear certain sounds, that they are
led TO believe that human sympathy u
dead. But haman sympathy IL quail
ity that IL ever present. and when me
demand comes. Il breaks forth sfresh
with all Of the yigr Of a dea,hlesi
soul.
In Amarillo, when the story Of the
conviction Of an unfortunate. misguided
immature. erring youth was called to
the attention IL the people. there vent
up a protest. and doubtless numerous
expressions u sympathy and susses-
tons Of remedy have been received by
the officers IN charge Of the boy. In
the hearts % the officers themselves.
there II n burning zeal for the better
snent Of society. These men into whose
hands has been placed the responsibility
for law enforcement. have a deep and
abiding sympathy for suffering and un'
fortunate humanity. They do not de-
ere 10 needlessly restrain or punish
any. They have their tasks mapped
out for them. they feel that they are
called upon to perform them. and IN
this they are correct. II n not fair TO as
sumo that because IN officer VI the
law must enforce the provisions OF the
statutes. that he II hard. cruel and In
humane. This IL IN unwarranted erih'
cism, for one had ~ well and could
with the same degree Of fact accuse the
SURGEON with cruelty and lack Of hu.
man sympathy and feeling because he
pains a patient whsr amputaiing 4
Aopeiessly damaged limb or member.
Human sympathy IL alive. and keen.
IL 10. There 10 a showing Of 1t when
ever great need exists. In connection
with the case In point. that Of the
youthful convict. there have been many
ssatements conveying numerous shades
Of opinion, and Il may be that some
vnfsvosubas estimates have been made
Of the officers Of tho court. but II Is
scarcely probable that the latter are
warranted In any measure. When a
case has been 70 long neglected that
nothing short of extreme measures vii
give results. tbs courts. like the sur
ssous, must resort to the remedies pro
vided for such emergencies. and are no
more hiameablo.
The fact that the courts find them
selves confronted with q stern neces'
sisy sor the Application Of heroic meas
urea IN the interests Of the individual
ana society AZ a whole. does not mean
that the people generally should cease
10 nay attention to the workings Of the
machinery through which such matters
are handled. This is true Tor the reason
that concern In matters Of government
always carries with II n compensation
for the general good A few years az
In the district court In Amarillo tw'
Mexicans were brought before the bal
AZ justice and were charged with hsv
Ing burglarizcd box car on the san,i
rs tracks. These Mexicans could no
speak or understand English. The
were. after q brief examination. permit
ted TO enter pleas OF guilty. The jur'
was Instructed. rs In all such cases. Z
find the defendants guilty ON thei
pleas. The jury. with this INSTRUCTION
from the court. retired. After being gu
Q little while. one OF the Jurors raise
. certain question about the Testimony
and snet word 90 the court that h
would like 10 have one Of the defendant
questioned a little moro closely. Thi
was done. and under the lnterrogatlo
Of the juror. II developed that the On
had been entered with the consent Z
the custodian. and that really no O
tense had been actually committed.
In this case. the defendants we,
''oniy Mexican iaborers." but they vel
human beings. 20 whose lshcrs and tin
the state had no right or title. wifhol
making just payment for tho same.
u enough TO mako one shudsier whs
n n understood that these men mig
have been sentenced TO five years ea'
I'm the penitsntisry. Thus. the sta
would have restrained these Nexioai
Of their liberty and robbed them
their abors for q combined ten veal
but for the nerve Of Juror who q
that he Was no: cutie Gear AZ 70 q
testimony. This one case should ~ q
ficient probation for a close and
innate reiasioaship between thc pub
and the courts. for AT least the unse
tsh pubic n the court - last !
sort"