Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-07-22
Lynch Law.
Greenbrier Independent.

Republican convention at all.
Lynch Law"
Greenbrier independent
Iynch him." ale ought TO be hung
without Judge or juryw Such express
sions are too often heard of late from the
lips of those who claim to be law-abid-
ING men. Is this the best that can he
done i'm old established communities,
some of them proiessedly Christian. and
that of an hundred years standing?
This looks serious in the eyes OF think
ing men.
Ii is not denied that many Of those
against whom such expressions are
aimed deserve them. We will admit, II
YOU please, that there are several crimes
besides murder that ought to be pun
ished with death-that they are worse
i'm their spirit and consequences than
the taking OF the life of iellow-man.
We admit that there is, now at least, in
this State, no law which is at all ade-
uuate to meet some of these cases. This
known and felt fact, together
with the notorious and shameful
DELAY and difficulty of executing
existing law, is doubtless the cause OF
the fearful signs Of violence multiplying
around us. We are not now inqulrlng
who is to blame for this, but whether
"Iynching' is the remedy. Are we
ready, in helplessness TO give ourselves
over to such tribunal? II not, what
ought law abiding and order loving
people TO do and say? Has not the
time come to take sober yet open and
courageous stand against this growing
evil?
Let all who think il worth while con-
slider ii the following propositions are
not true:
First-Where there is any acknowl-
edged government and laws existing,
even if inadequate TO punish in any
other way than by these, it strikes a Sc
riOus blow at the very foundation oi all
law and Justice. Ii is in principle the
greatest evil that can befall society, and
has the most direct tendency to disOr-
ganize and produce general anarchy.
SecOnd-This violent mode is no such
preventive of crime as even imperfect
law. IL NAV hold it in check for time
by terror, but it always aggravates tie
passions that produce crime. This Is
only smothered, TO burn in secret and
wait its turn for revenge. How many
and easy are the secret opportunities
when this mean passion thinks 1t has
good cause, we all know. Punishment
by law does just the opposite; there is a
majesty about it which the honest feel.
Third-This is a tribunal wholly ire
sponsible, mswerable TO no power on
earth, without the shadow OF a code for
its guidance, and sitting always under
the influence of the strongest feelings
oil the human heart.
Hence, iourth-When once begun it
has no bound. Destroy the tribunal OF
authorized Justice and to what do you
refer? To the unrestrained impulses OF
human passion. That these passions
seem sometimes 10 have such just cause,
makes them the more dangerous. How
easily Imagination magniiies the cause
we all know.
Then again, fifth-Evcry instance of
lvnching tends to take the execution OF
Justice ont of the hands of the thought
iul and responsible and put it into the
hands ol the most ignorant, depraved
and dangerous, for the simple reason
that this class, more eXcltablc and
prejudiCcd, are most ready TO resort TO
such measures. Ii one class has the
right, who can deny il TO the other?
Then, whose turn may come next? If
this simple principle become prevalent,
we in this land and this day may show
ourselves rs culpable as the French in
the time of the Revolution. We had
better stop here and think Il little.
Sixth-When this thing begins it is
like the letting out OF water. Nothing
is more contagious. The experience OF
all the darkest days OF history shows
this. The disturbances in some OF the
great governments of the world and in
the working ccntcrS shows that there is
fuel enough in the present state OF So
cietv Tor such fire to feed upon. Every
seeding has its harvest. The size OF the
first seed sOwn does not always measure
what will be reaped.
Seventh-Thc truth of chief impOr-
lance is that lynching is itself a great
crime, tested by every proper standard.
Ii life is taken it is murder. Let good
and brave people always pronounce this
right judgment upon il. When God
pronounced the curse on the first muir
dcrcr, ne pronounced seven-lold curse
on any one who would assume the right
10 STAY the murderer.
This is the strong check the author Of
all Justice SO early set on this fearful
passion OF revenge, so natural, so near
akin in appearance to 4 sense OF Justice,
and yet So fatal to human lie and pro-
perty. When an age gets wiser than
what is written it easily swings
from the siclly sentiment of no punish
mcnt 20 the other extreme OF violence
and anarchy.