Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-05
Speedy Justice Will
Lessen American Crime
To the Editor of The star:

10 tne EQ1tor OF Inc STARE
BY the preamble to the Constitution
Of the United States, 1--WE, the people
of the United States, in order to form
a more perfect union, establish justice.
and secure the blessings of lib
erty to ourselves and our posterity, do
ordain and establish this Constitution
for the United States of America"
Justice" in the language Of Web
ster, sis the greatest interest Of man
on earth. 1t Is the ligament which
holds civilized nations together.
Wherever her temple stands, and as
long as 1t is duly honored, there is a
foundation for social security, general
happiness and the Improvement and
the progress of our race. And who
ever labors on this edifice with useful
ness and distinction, whoever clears
its foundations, strengthens it's pill
lars, adorns it's entablatures or con-
tributes to raise it's august dome still
higher in the skies, connects himself in
name and fame and character with
that which Is, and must be, as durable
as the frame Of human society"
Can any one define exact and i'm
partial justice, when it comes to the
at the hands Of the law?
Natural justice is the only true and
impartial justice administered to the
rich and to the poor alike, through the
law known as retribution, before
whose court all men are equal, and
from whose verdicts of guilty no hui
man conscience through all the ages
has escaped punishment.
1t is then no wonder that we often
hear the complaint that justice is not
being administered by our courts to
the rich and to the poor alike, and
that all men are not equal before the
law.
The delays incident to the enforce
ment and execution Of the criminal
laws in various jurisdictions within the
United States, contrary to the inten-
ton of the Constitution of the United
States, have made the general admin
istration of those laws a curse to
American justice and American civil
ization.
The predominant question being dis
cussed in the United States on this
general subject today is whether one
charged with capital offense should
be speedily tried and if convicted the
death penalty should be carried out
with the least possible delay.
perience of Great Britain on this sub
ject. 1t has been found that in that
country the penalty of death has been
repeatedly inflicted, not after de-
lay of seven years, but after prompt
and speedy trial, and safeguarded in
recent years by an immediate appeal
to a revising court, composed Of three
judges, whose decisions have not as
yet been challenged.
A person who commits the crime Of
murder seldom counts the cost, nor
does he give consideration to the re-
suits or to the consequences Of his
act.
What evidently deters the criminal
in Wales and England is not how
severe will be his sentence, but the
sWiftness of his trial and the certain
ty of punishment.
1t has been asserted as a fact, that
the statistics of England and Wales
show that by a strict enforcement of
the law. England has reduced not
only capital offenses, but capital pun
ishment itself to a minimum, and that
in the last five years there have been
only 70 executions, or an average of
IA per annum.
Crimes are diseases, classified in the
law as felonies and .misdmeanors. yet
how seldom do we hear of criminals
seek justice as cure for crime in
the courts Of our country? Criminals
do not want justice. They seek every
thing else except justice.
Amendment 6 to the Constitution Of
the United States is:
I'm all criminal prosecutions the ac-
cused shall enjoy the right to
speedy and public trial, by an impair
tial jury of the State and district
wherein the crime shall have been
committed. which district shall have
been previously ascertained by law,
and to be informed Of the nature and
cause of the accusation; to be con-
fronted with the witnesses against
him; to have compulsory process for
obtaining witnesses in his favor, and
to have the assistance Of counsel for
his defense"
There Is nothing wrong with our
fundamental law, except the delays
incident to it's administration; and, If
administered in accordance with the
foregoing amendment to the Consti-
tuition of the United States, as it
should be, capital offenses and other
crimes will rapidly decrease instead
of increase, and greater respect for
the laws of the land will be created.
WILLIAM MEYERHOFF.