Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1925-11-10
Observations Gathered
Here and There

ter foolshness of attempting t
Justify a killing by resortlng t.
a defense based on the so-calle'
unwritten law.
In the particular case IN mind
the defendant was turned loose
but he brought disgrace on thos'
he should have protected.
This unwritten Jaw, which i
ut~forward in other sections a
we'll as in the South, as an AIDE
ouate defense against murder,
peculiarly repugnant to clVil'za
ton of the South, remarks thu
Asheville, (N,C) Citizen which
says that:
II has been sometimes used to
excuse cold-blooded murder here
where chivalry is our proud
est boast. Hiding behind it, men
occasionally bring disgrace upon
the very women whom they pre-
tend to shield. Supposed to be
the resort and refuge of a brave
nan, it is warrant TOT coward
ice. Supposed to protect a wom-
ans good name, it proclaims her
shame, often utterly undeservedly,
to the nation and the world.
Consider its absurdity. A father
shoots a man to death because his
victim has written him scurrilous
things about his daughter When
brought to trial for the killing,
his defense is that he shot because
he was in fear of his own life and,
incidentally, to still the tongue of
SANDER. To save his own neck, he
makes matter of legal
record and publishes in every news
paper in the country the letters
and scatters copies of them
throughout his home county Civ
ing the sickening details of false
charges, thereby broadcasting the
very stuff which his act was sup
posed to do away with.
There is precious protection of
womanhood" in that. Besides,
what difference does it make what
becomes of man who puts up a
defense like that?
Such a spectacle is enough to
md forever this myth of an "un-
Written law" A man shooting in
'elf-defense when fronted by one
who is attempting to kill him, is
one thing. 1t is quite another
when the man, having determined
to take the law into his own hands,
goes forth armed to put his enemy
to death and, as consequence, de-
liver a beloved woman to the
fangs of scandal.
Right thinking men and wom-
en- are more and more coming to
the belief that REGARDLESS OF
the crime or the perpetrator the
laws of the land should be allow,
ed to punish the criminal; that
there is no justice in an unwrit-
ten law; that the individual who
uses it as an excuse for murder i,
both criminally guilty and utterly
foolish.
The papers of the State con
hnue to speculate regarding tn,
POLITICAL plans of Ex-Senato
fioke Smith and Ex-senator Thos
w. Hardwick. Set eral of the edi
tors insist that Mr.. Smith will
make the race for Governor an,
that Mr.. Hardwick will oppos
either George or Harris for tn
Senate, Mr.. Smith has declare,
that he will not again accept OF
flee, still many of his friends cor
tinue to declare that he NAV b
persuaded to do so. Mr.. Hare
wick continues to hit right an
left in his weekly paper, tn
Georgia Free Lance, but declin,
to state what-if any polite;
plans he may have.
The names of a number of me
have been put forth as possib
candidates for the Governorshil
"LNAA eAAC CACCpllOn or Ennl
no definite declarations ha1
been made. Mr.. Ennis has mac
no formal announcement. but h;
stated that he will announce h
candidacy in the near futur
There's little doubt as to Enni
intention to run. Immediate
following his vote which brol
the tie in the Senate to abol.
$50 of Brown 80 oil inspector
Ennis remarked to a Legislat
from North Georgia: That vo
got me $4,000 votes in Geore
for Governor.
In leading editorial recent
The Savannah Press says the
IS interesting talk from Allan
about Hon. Hoke Smith .runni
for Governor. The Press al
@tates that
1T is also intimated chat Sens