White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1923-09-09
LEADER IN MURDER

LEADER IN MURDER
Doleful news of the murder condi-
lions Of the United States as con
.rasted with those of Great Britain
and other civilized countries is re-
ported by the American Bar asso-
citation, which is understood to have
some measures in hand for correc-
lion Of the evil. The question is.
Will the bar association look for
own membership?
1t should be hardly necessary
though possibly pertinent to quote
the figures that are given, It being
claimed that in the British Isles in
1921 there wer only sixty-three MUIR
ders to 1850 in the United States If
it were 1850 or $500 the contrast
would not be a great deal nor strik-
ing, for the majority against this
country in this matter would be ap-
parently only slightly more over
whelming.
Starting at the beginning the
American plan of presumption of in
nocence until guilt is proved, while
the theory is n duplicate of the Eng
fish system is in fact so much diff
ferent as in practice to amount to
the exact opposite. Not only is in
nocence presumed and this theory
carried to amazing lengths, but the
benefit of every doubt Is given to the
accused. With the theories the same
their applications in the two coun-
tries have such a wide gulf between
them that the effect could not be
more different if they were the op-
Iosite.
But were the applications of the
theory the same there is the further
difference in the ann in which
murder trials are handled by mem-
hers of the bar. In England a barris-
ter is literally an officer of the court
and If he knows his client to be gull
ty of murder it is as much his duty
to see that justice is measured out
to him as it is that of the crown
prosecutor. He cannot take his place
before the bar of the court and carry
on acts of pettifOggery or those OF
a shyster, seeking to becloud the
facts and make black appear to be
white. No jugglery whatever is per-
mitted and business has to be. bust
ness.
Here lawyers acting in defense of
accused murderers have every lati-
tude. In the first place they have a
venal press to aid them, which fire.
quently may be enlisted for q con.
sideration. About the first thing they
lie sentiment for the accused, and
this influence is allowed to work it's
evil upon the minds of Jurors to the
limit. II it happens to be a crime
of national interest. like several that
have occurred in the past twenty
years, the easily won sympathies of
millions of people throughout the
whole nation ere sought through the
aid of yellow journalism, and count
less lines of maudlin rot that are
printed.
II it is a local affair the attorney
makes it his business 20 openly los
ter public sentiment in the commun-
ity, putting different interpretations
upon words and acts from those that
were or were supposed 10 be the true
ones. There is as much CT rore
work done in that manner, in dealing
with the public and getting it into
line. than in the actual legal pro-
ceedings for which the counsel is
hired.
With the of 'carryings-on
in court the public is all too familiar,
none Of which things are permitted
under English criminal practice. In
addition to these things the majority
of American judges were former
criminal lawyers, or others reared
in the same school or environments.
whose lives have been spent in help.
ing the guilty to go free, and who
make no bones in telling you so.
Among the many causes Cor such
an awfully overwhelming amount of
crime in the United States the at
titude of attorneys in favor Of the
criminal undoubtedly is the most
potent. II the har association can
correct this evil among its own mem
bers II will strike the poison at its
source and do the greatest good Of
anything that a be contrived or
thought of. But to do this 1t will
have q still greater contract on its
hands, that of curing commercialism
in the defense of criminals. and 1t
will take a Hercules to do that, for
as Hiram Johnson once said, Law.
yers have got to eat"
FOR SALE-Canaries; singers.