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by tin* “conservative” Southern Democratic news
papers as the Moses who was to lead the party in
the next presidential campaign away from the bane
ful influences of Bryan.
But Bailey got found out too early, hence the
more recent exploitation of Johnson of Minnesota.
Inequalities in Administration of the Law.
Is this country very well adapted to tin* raisin"
of "ood people ?
We claim that all men are equal in the sight of the
law, and that any great amount of discrimination in
favor of the wealthy or the socially prominent is
hound to make our land a hot-bed of unrest and
discontent. That this discontent and unrest will
eventually drive the majority to deeds of vice and
crime that will bring into disrepute free popular
government and jeopardize the basic principle of
true liberty. Just remember that liberty, one of the
greatest of blessings, depends not so much upon tin*
sword as upon a wise and equitable administration of
the laws enacted for its protection; also that those
subject to the law must he taught to obey as they
would be obeyed were they governors and princes.
Oh. the sham and false in much of our teaching!
One man, with no influence in the community, no
money in the world, breaks into a store and steals
something to keep himself or his little children from
starving; another, prominent in the church and so
ciety, steals from his employer, betrays his confi
dence and takes money that was not locked up from
him because he was considered honest —steals it, not
to save a life from starving, but to keep his social
position. Now. which of these is the greater crim
inal ?
If we were to measure degrees of crime by the
infliction of bodily punishment, we should have to
declare the man who stole to satisfy hunger to he
the greater by far. lie is promptly and very prop
erly (?) adjudged guilty and put in chains and made
to slave at the hardest sort of labor for twelve or
fifteen hours a day, often whipped and beat unmer
cifully; while his stronger brother, on account of
his ill-gotten wealth or his social position, gets some
easy office work, boards at the hotel and goes foot
free, unwhipped and unworked.
There seems to be also a disposition on the part
of our officers of the law to shield wealthy criminals
from detection and prosecution.
Some time in November of last year the Bank
of Wayeross, in Ware county, was found to be insol
vent. Depositors lost money by the thousands and
tens of thousands of dollars. A short time there
after the Neal Bank of Atlanta also suspended, with
millions of dollars due depositors. Then the bank
THE REASON
at Abbeville, (la., failed. So far as we know or can
learn there has been no criminal prosecution from
any of these failures.
«
Two recent dispatches from Florence. S. C., will
serve to show to some extent the immunity that
some of our citizens, socially prominent, enjoy from
criminal prosecution;
“Florence. S. C. —R. Lee Brunson, assistant
cashier Bank of Florence, has left the city and his
whereabouts are unknown. lie was short $5,000.
llis relatives here have made the shortage good, but
an effort to apprehend him and bring him back will
he made. He is socially and politically one of the
most prominent men of this section, belonging to one
of the first families of tin* state.”
A second dispatch, dated June 3, reads:
“Columbia, S. C. —R. Lee Brunson, formerly
assistant cashier of tin* Bank of Florence, who mvs
«
teriouslv disappeared from that city several weeks
ago. returned to Florence at 8 o'clock tonight, com
ing from Richmond or some other northern point.
Brunson had telegraphed a relative of his coming.
A number of his friends met him at tin* depot and
gave him a cordial reception. No statement con
cerning Brunson's whereabouts for the past several
weeks or flu* cause of his leaving Florence could be
obtained tonight."
What if Mr. Thompson, who embezzled the funds
of flu* Palmer Hardware* Company of Savannah, had
had rich and prominent relations to make good his
shortage? Might he not also have returned from
Philadelphia, unaccompanied by an officer, and been
met ar tin* depot and given a cordial reception?
Would there ever have been any statement con
cerning his whereabouts from tin* time he left Savan
nah until arrested or any explanation as to the
cause of his leaving Savannah ?
We wish there were seated upon the throne of
every state and national government one who would
see to it that exact justice did prevail. Better this
and a monarchy than a republic and injustice. In
justice breeds tyranny and tyranny despotism and
out rage.
There can not he much freedom except exact
justice be dealt all. Instead of getting better each
year we will be getting worse. If there are things
in this government that ought to he gottten rid of
it is the inequality of citizens. If there is anything
that ought to be preserved it is their equality before
the law. This is the great question now confronting
tin* country, upon which the great and the true, who
have the foresight to detect and depict the real
evils of our government have agreed—morever they
have combined and determined—to wage a relent
less and open warfare until all men shall be really
free and independent and exactly upon the same
footing, so far as law and government can be com
bined to make them so.