(
Can
the Law Be Enforced
Without Partiality?
i
1
1
It is remarkably peculiar
how a man’s personal interests,
or the interest of his friends,
will affect his views of right
and wrong and will impell him
to commend or condemn the
other fellow.
It is a fact, nevertheless,
that mankind, from the highest
to the lowest, is easily swayed
by their prejudices or their
personal interests.
For instance, if we happen
to have a slight dislike for Rill
Smith, and Rill happens to vio
late the lavv, we at once be
come indignant if Rill is not
haled into court and justice
meted out in ! 4.1 quanti -s.
We believe in law and order,
and we think it is a shame and
a disgrace the way our officers
and courts permit such flagrant
and open violations of law.
Under such circumstances we
often become eloquent advo
cates of law enforcement
especially if a number of Rill
Smiths happen to be caught in
the drag-net of the law.
Rut, regardless of how
strong we may be for law en
forcement, if John Jones, who
is a personal friend of ours
and a friend of our family—if
John is “getting by” with some
shady stuff that would get
John into trouble and maybe
send him to the penitentiary
and disgrace him and his fami
ly—oh, well, a man must be
reasonable and use judgment,
you know, so we keep awfully
quiet. ,
Understand, however, we
are 100 per cent American
citizen—we believe in law en
forcement and we stand four
square to the world upon those
things that mean better citi
zenship and a higher standard!
of morality—do not forget that.!
It is a wonderful thing to
have a sense of humor in our
make-up—we would be a rank
old grouch before we were
40 if we didn’t have it. Touch
your sense of humor and look
at that bird—isn’t he some pea
cock! But if the feathers were
all off?.—haw! haw! haw—
funny old world isn’t it?
That is not supposed to be
comedy—but it is.
A certain man who up until
a year or so ago had been a
fairly good citizen and a suc
cessful farmer, got to dabbling
with booze, and as is always
the case, sooner or later, he
got caught. If a man lives long
enough, he always reaps at
least a portion of what he
sows—that is one of the inevi
table laws of nature, as en
during as Time, and Eternity.
Like all other men, as long as
he was “getting by with it” it
did not worry him. But when
he got caught, his conscience;
began to hurt him. So he de
cided the best thing to do was
to “come clean,” plead guilty
and take his punishment, al
though it meant one to three
years in the pentitentiary. But I
he was going to do it, and was;
shaping his affairs to that end. |
A number of “fairly good”
citizens of Newark who prob
ably believe in tempering jus
tice with mercy, signed a pe
tition asking Judge Coleman to
be lenient with the man, know
ing that it meant on a plea of
guilty, not less than one year
in the penitentiary*.
The men who signed the
petition are not “top notch”
citizens—that is, they are not
men who have stood up so
straight that they lean back a
little—but they are “fairly
good’ citizens, among the num
ber being a doctor, a preacher,
a druggist, a business man, a
barber, an editor and several
farmers.
It is not generally known,
but you can take it from us that
this bunch of “weaklings” or
“half breeds,” who signed the(
petition “got it in the neck”
good and proper from
I certain 100 percent citizens
iwho favored no compromise
with crime and thought the law
should be fully vindicated.
Whew! We had to stagger up
to a telephone pole and lean
against it to keep from col
lapsing.
Hut a few days pass, the
scene changes, and about 20
men charged with violating the
law, go into court and agree to
plead guilty if the court will
suspend sentence.
The court accepts the offer,
they plead guilty and are re
leased and return home, free
men.
Having dispensed with all
the business of the term with
; this one great stroke of Justice,
the court adjourns.
And immediately these 100
per cent citizens who had put
the gaff to the aforesaid
“weaklings,” stand up, to a
man, and applaud!
Bravo! Good work old boy!
Hurrah for Dene!
But do you know what that
reminds us of? Remember
what old man Webster said a
bout the ox being gored?
It may be a crime to say it,
but we can’t help but wonder
if somebody’s ox was in dan
ger?
Judge Coleman may put the
editor of The Journal in jail
for contempt of court for say-'
ing it, but we are bound to say
there is very little real justice
in such a proceedure. It de
grades the law and breeds dis
respect for the courts.
Justice cannot be dealt out
in wholesale quantities.
Resides, a number of the1
men whose names were signed!
to the alleged “confession” and
‘“reform pledge” are fugitives
from justice. They are not in
the county, and have not been
for so m e time. Rut
no doubt when they hear
of the court’s action
they will be highly pleased and
they too will stand up and ap
plaud as did their friends back1
home.
Rut what about the 14 men,
recently sent up from Jackson
county who are now serving
sentences in the Arkansas peni
tentiary for violating the li
quor laws?
Several of them plead guilty, j
and the editor of The Journal!
has personal knowledge of the
fact that at least one of this!
number is a physical and men
tal weakling who for more
than a year was under treat-1
ment at the Arkansas Insane I
Asylum, as the Jesuit of an ac-i
cident that left him a mental j
wreck for life. Although a;
piece of human driftwood, hei
has never been a criminal, but
was caught in the drag-net of |
the law in the liquor clean-up I
in Newport, and on the advice
of some one plead guilty and
is now doing time on the Tuck
er farm.
We wonder if he too w 11
stand up and applauc wh .1
he learns how the courts in In
dependence county deal out
justice?
Oh, well, dammit—why did
n’t the darn idiot, and those
other 1J bootleggers, come
;ver to IrM
if they wai^
liquor businl
body’s friend
Id take care
of them?
The Journal has no desire to
see any one suffer, but we be-i
lieve Lincoln uttered a greath'
truth when he said :
“If this republic is to live, it
will live through re
spect t'or law. This is a gov
ernment of law and order, and
the law must be respected or;
we shall descend into the wel
tering chaos of the mob.”
The Journal would always
temper justice with mercy, but1
when the courts reach the point
where the law is administered
in wholesale quantities and by
long distance proxy, Justice is
liable to get a black eye.
The court’s action in the
matter cannot be defended. It
can only be excused on the
theory that “It may be for the
It MAY be. We join in hop
ing that it is.
PROSECUTING ATTORNEY
Hugh Williamson Announces as
Candidate For Re-Election
Hugh Williamson announ
ces in today’s paper as a candi
date for reelection as prosecu
ting attorney of Die Third Judi
cial District
Those familiar with the
record of Mr. Williamson real
ize that he has served the dis
trict faithfully and fearlessly,
and it is hardly probable that
he will have opposition at this
time.
Mr. Williamson is a clean
young man, is ably qualified as
: an attorney and investigator to
fill the office of prosecutor, as
I his past record attests. During
I the past year or so the dockets
of the circuit court have been
greatly congested on account
i of the increase in crime, and
i Mr. Williamson has devoted
his time and talent to dispatch
this business as quick as pos
sible. He is on the job every
day court is in session.
Mr. Williamson has handled
successfully several difficult
I technical cases which tested his
lability as a lawyer. There
I have also been several first de
. gree murder cases, and every
body knows Mr. Wililamson’s
excellent record in the handling
of these cases.
Mr. Williamson’s record can
well be compared with that of
any other prosecuting attorney
of Arkansas, and his friends
do not believe that his election
will be contested for a second
term, as he is deserving of an
other two years in the1 office.
OWENS-t>ANI£LS
Batesville, April 26.—J. B
Daniels and Miss Florence
Owens were married Sunday
afternoon at the residence of
Rev. R. K. Timmons, dean of
Arkansas College- The groom
is the county agent of this
county, anil the bride is popu
lar in society and holds the
position of organist at the First
Presbyterian church, and is
also a teacher in music. The
young couple left S nday night
on a short honeymoon trip, af
ter which they expect to keep
house in Batesville.
FRAYED
One three year old bay horse
mule, about 14 hands high;
weight abought. GOO or 700
pounds; had on new leather
halter. Liberal reward for re
turn of same to II- L. Brcue on
the W. J Waldripf farm.
one-eleven cigarettes
Three Friendly
Gentlemen
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FIFTH AVE.
NSW YORK CITY
•+
Spring is Here
What about your
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Show
You
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Pearl White
*
IN
iiuiimni/tiiii mmmmmmmmmm
“Know Your Men”
S
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She Thought She Knew—
But, Did She?
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A page from a woman's soul—-a picture that
will tug at your heart-strings, as it unfolds the
story of a girl’s heart, and what happens when
the ideals of her life are shattered and broken
Religiously Clean and Thoroughly
Gripping in Action and Suspense
Also Harold Lloyd Comedy
FRIDAY, APRIL 28
ROYAL THEATRE
Admission 15 and 30 Cents
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