Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-06-28
Mnh Law.

Inc prompt ana IshrIul fsJTlDuJlon
melted out 10 those five negro murder
ers nj Elkhart, on Monday, was 80.
we're sentence, but 1t will have more
good effect, probably, In that neighbor-
mood than most anything else. Not
that the advocacy Of mob law IL right
aud necessary but for the prompt
reti ,ution for crime, aside from the
distruBt OF the laws delays.
Swift punishment will do more
10 keep down crime and the crimi-
nally disposed than all other
agencies, and the Idea once instilled In
the public mind that promptly and
surely will justice be .meie1 out, and
there will be less reports OF the out
raging ofwomen and the indlscrimln-
ate shootings and assaults which make
up the bulk Of the daily news. Mob
law will find many defenders In such
instances IA that reported from Elk .
hart, and while bllndfold justice may
have been cheated out OF q lob, the
feeling In that community will be one
OF more safety san Antonio Light.
IL ~ a SAD commentary on the law,
or on the Enforcement OF law, when
men are compelled to indorse u viola
ton Of law. Perhaps there In not a
man In all Texas who does not hearth
~ indorse the speedy verdict Of Judge
Lynch Tor the horrible crime commit
ted at Elkhart. And yet all men free
y admit the danger of appeal 10 mob
law. Either the law or the EN- force
ment OF law in Texas il responsible
for the public Endorsement OF mob law
If not, indeed, for the fearful
outrage, to avenge which mob law
was invoked. 1t IL fair to presume
that had all violation OF law in this
state been met by speedy and Just exc
cuti)n OF law, no man would think Of
appealing to the court OF Judge Lynch,
aud that crime Itself would he less FREE
quent. Tho hope OF escape In pro-
motive Of lawlessneis, and for that
hope OF escape the responsibility must
rest somewhere. Ole of the greatest
authorities has declared that the
laws penalties are not fixed a. atone.
ments or eXpiatiOns, but as a. pre-
caution against future Ollenses Of the
same kind and another has expressed
what all knowledge and experience
demonstrates, that crimes are more
eilectually prevented by the certainty
than by the severity OF punishment.
No penalty could atone or expiate
crimes like that committed at fGlkhart;
but uniform swlftness of punishment
for all violations Of law would tend to
decrease all crime and to render such
damnable deeds as that at Elkhart Of
rare occurrence. The Light declares
that
The jury laws OF Texas will have
tn be revised and improved, or crime
Will run riot In every community. As
they are now enforced, no good man,
whose opinions are worth anything,
or who In intelligent enough 10 keep
up with tho current events OF the day,
In allowed . serve on any Jury. The
grounds for challenge are 30 numerous
that any wide.awalie lawyer can eX.
cludo all but tho most pronounced OF
flssionals, or the men who are the pro-
tbuNiHUsu ny buS lhdl hrgu-
ment they hear. This Ia why mohs
are no frequent, and why people are 40
prone to overlook Judge Lynch In his
actions. Arrest In many cases Ia sim
ply the preliminary movement TO ac-
quittal while the laws, instead Of
being made for the punishment, seem
TO he for the protection OF the criminal
classes.
TnE GAZETTE leaves II to those
who make our laws and to those
who have most to do with their
execution TO fix the respons ibility
and to provide the remedy. Ger
tainly, every man must agree that
there Ia necessity for some amendment
that will educate tho people not to well
come the odicls OF Judge Lynch, and
thus to become, In their zeal for justice
and safety, the violators themselves Of
law, which Ia intended and supposed
20 guarantee both Justice and safety.