San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-12-10
BAD BIRMINGHAM BUSINESS.

birmingham, ALABAMA, mas nau
fearful and bloody demonstration of
the result of mob violence, as reported
in this mornings dispatches. The
citizens of~.that city, some of them
people of eminent standing and re-
spectability, attempted to take out of
Jail prisoner, suspected of a brutal
murder, for the purpose OF lynching
him. The sheriff and the law officers
under him were prepared for the at
tack and gave due warning to the
crowd as they approached, demand
ing admittance. The warning was
not needed and the order to fire was
given. Over five hundred shots were
exchanged and when the crowd with
drew some score OF citizens were
wounded or dying. At least twelve
were seriously hurt and of those one
half will not survive. The reports
show that the citizens are desperate
and threaten the sheriff and his Off
GERS with violence. Sober second
thoughts will doubtless prevail
and the wisdom of permitting
the law to take it's regular course will
be more apparent than heretofore.
The tendency to resort to mob law
and lynching instead of awaiting the
action of the courts grows and it
should be checked. The Birmingham
sheriff was sworn to do certain duties
on taking his oath of office and among
them was the safe keeping of the pris-
Oners committed to his charge. TWAS
as much his duty to defend his prison
ers from the violence of the mob and
safely keep the Jail gates against them
as to keep those gates against the
escape of his prisoner. The cOnse-
quences are most deplOrable, but from
the account as wired the press the
sheriff can not be justly charged with
the responsibility of it. That respOn-
sibility rests at the door of the men
who organized the raid upon the Jail
and no where else. 1t is time that
these attempts to override law were
abandoned and the regular processes
of the courts adhered to. These pro-
cesses may be, and often are, retarded
and Justice delayed, but these delays
and vexatiOns are far preferable to
the hasty and unwarranted exer-
else of mob violence. The Amer
lean people in the west and in the
south are a little too ready under
strong excitement to take the law in
to their own hands and override the |
courts. This feeling is spreading to
the north and east where it was
formerly all but unknown, and it is |
not wise nor right that it should con-
tinue. Due process of law must be
looked to for the punishment Of crime |
of all character. Let there be a |
healthy public sentiment fostered in |
favor of supporting the existing laws
and reforming abuses where they are
seen to exist, and there will be no
need of any resort to mob law. The
Alabama lesson is a terrible one. |
All good and humane citizens every |
where will deplore such untimely |
taking off, but it is necessary that
law be maintained, and the officers
Of the law allowed to do their work
undeterred by fear of violence.
"I.ynchers" and white caps" and
"bIack caps" and regulators" have
had too much latitude. They have
grown more and more ca ing
until the legitimate result has
come in Birmingham. 1t comes in
blood and sorrow, and mourning
city. Let the lesson be needed else
where.