by a "Law-Abiding Canadian," and published in
the _Witness_ of March 25th, is as follows:

"SIR,--Many have been surprised and disappointed at the silence
that has prevailed in our newspapers since the verdict of the
jury in the W. W. Smith attempt to murder or 'do up' case.
Instead of a resolute onslaught of protests from the people
through the press and by public bodies, all is comparatively
quiet.

"What is the reason of this? Is it that they are paralyzed with
surprise and horror for the time being? It surely must be so. If
not, it is time we were asking where we are and what we are
coming to. Sir, our ears are made to tingle, and our hearts are
thrilled with horror, when we read of the wild lynchings by
shooting, rope or burning, that have taken place in the United
States. These dreadful things are reported from new States or in
old ones, where race feeling runs high, and where justice, often
handicapped by all the lawlessness and savage cruelty and
ignorance of both a home and foreign element, fails for the time
being, and we complacently say: 'It is just like the United
States. What an awful country it must be to live in!' Are we
going back to such a state of things? Has it come to such a pass
that law and justice are becoming a mockery? God forbid that it
should ever come to this, but something must be done that not
only our persons and property may be protected, but that our
belief that we have and hold in this Canada of ours that British
justice and fair play that is world-wide in its administration,
and ever the same.

"There is no doubt that the brand of public opinion on these
individuals for their self-confessed and clearly proven guilt, if
they have any conscience left, will be terrible, and make them
bury themselves away forever from the community and public that
their acts have horrified. But the matter must not end here. A
great wrong to an individual and society has been done, and the
public may well ask who will it be next; and whose person or
property is safe if such lawlessness is allowed to go unpunished.
Let the lawkeepers be heard from in a way that will make our
lawmakers enquire into our jury system, and devise some way to
prevent the miscarriage of justice and consequent grievous wrong
done to individuals a