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Mr xx A MILITANT WEEKLY. 1
THE REASON COMPANY nfWC Vl? . o *. nn , SINGLE COPY E LAMAR PARKER,
Hl Express Builditiß. ONE YEAR SI.OO. FIVE CENTS. DAVID P. DYER.
No. 4.
WANTED-OLD FASHIONED MINISTERS.
Rev. Dr. AV. N. Ainsworth’s staunchest friends
and supporters must find it a perplexing task to
name a basis upon which it is possible to premise
any sort of justification of that gentlemen’s acrid
and unsparing denunciation of the City Court jury
which sat last week on certain cases of alleged viola
tions of the State prohibition law. One need not be
a champion of the system in vogue of choosing jur
ors in this state nor a defender of the probity of any
particular juryman or set of jurymen, to perceive
the unseemliness of the Minister’s excoriation which
he gave out for publication.
Os course any citizen may question the soundness
or justice,of a verdict in any case and remain within
his rights, but this prerogative does not grant him
the privilege of unbridled and unlicennsed personal
abuse addressed to any part of a jury under any
conceivable circumstances liable to arise. Certainly
no citizen has a right to, and without gross impro
priety can, hurl invectives at the heads of twelve
men sitting upon a case in court simply because some
of these men, after hearing the evidence, fail to
reach a conclusion in accord with an opinion, formed
before the trial began, by a critic on the outside.
Indeed it is a mooted question if a part of Dr.
Ainsworth’s utterances, under a strict construction
by the presiding judge, does not bring the former
within the purview of proceedings for contempt of
court. Os course such proceedings are not here ad
vocated, and it is altogether likely that Dr. Ains
worth’s status as a clergyman would, in any event,
shield him from the consequences which one not pos
sessing this immunity might legally suffer for too
violent criticism of an institution of justice. The
Minister directly attacked only a part of the jury,
and not the court, itself; but an intimation of re
missness on the part of the latter might reasonably
be imputed to two paragraphs of Dr. Ainsworth’s
expression, in as much as it is as UNBELIEVABLE
THAT “LUNATICS OR CRIMINALS” IIAVE EN
TREE TO THE CITY COURT JURY BOX as it
would be impossible for such men to effect an en
trance therein without the knowledge of the court
officers.
The language in point is quoted as follows:
Savannah, Ga.. May 16, 1908
By DAVID P. DYER.
“One of two things must be true. Either the
men who voted for these acquittals were too stupid
to know evidence when presented, or they did not
hesitate to perjure themselves.
“EITHER LUNATICS OR CRIMINALS TN A
JURY BOX IMPERIL EVERY INTEREST OF
CIVILIZED SOCIETY.”
The Reason has not investigated the private
lives of the jurors who are the object of Dr. Ains
worth's vitriolic assault, nor is there any evidence
shown that the character and standing of any of the
twelve men were inquired into prior to the publica
tion of the Minister’s effusion. This paper is there
fore, no better fortified by right to vouch for the in
tegrity of these men, in the absence of necessary
information, than was their assailant under a like
condition, to denounce them. So, naturally, their
defense as individuals is not undertaken.
It should be understood that The Reason does
not assume the position that any miscarriage of jus
tice is excusable or defendable. THIS PAPER
WILL BE FOUND AMONG THE FIRST TO VIS
IT CENSURE UPON ALL PERSONS FAILING IN
THEIR DUTIES AS CITIZENS OR OFFICERS OF
THE LAW WHENEVER THERE IS POSITIVE
AND CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE OF DERELIC
TION OR CULPABILITY. But it contends that in
temperate and illconsidered speech, especially when
emanating from an intelligent and cultured source,
is far more potent for evil consequences than would
be intemperate indulgence in strong drink by the
same individual and certainly less excuse may be
found for a bitter and uncharitable tongue than for
an ungovernable appetite or frail will-power.
We may worthily be liberal in characterizing the
act of the rude, the uncultured and the ignorant
man, or the wordly-minded man who is neither of
these, when he employs immoderate language to
emphasize his views, or resorts to acrimony and epi
thet to goad his adversary into physical encounter,
standing the while equipped with muscle or weapon,
and with a willingness to take from as he will give
to the man on equal ground with himself.
On the other hand, to what altitude shall we
exalt the man of birth and breeding, the collegian of
Vol. 1.