The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-08-05
SPEED THE LAW.

The number OF lynchings occurring
lately throughout the country are a
fearful commentary on the state of the
country, rejecting either on the courts
Or the present state of society. Name
less crimes seem to be on the increase.
and the question as to the proper way
to deal with these cases Is agitating the
country papers greatly. 1t is a problem
worthy discussion. There is natural
repugnance to forcing woman to ap-
pear in court to testify in such cases, vet
the question aris=s, do the operations of
Judge Lynch place the awfulness of the
death punishment at high enough place
to secure the effect of warning to
others? In many cases we fear not.
Mobs are not always careful to get the
right men, and mistake in one in
stance robs half dozen cases of their
look OF justice. The question will be
study.
From the Richmond Dispatch.
The Hon. II. T. Barton, of Winchester,
president of the Virginia Bar Associa-
ton, in his annual report made to that
BODY at its meeting at the Greenbrier
White Sulphur Springs on Tuesday,
discussed among other things "lynch
law" OF it he said: Justify ourselves
as we may, after all lynching is in some
degree murder, and every instance of it
In any community Is lapse to that
extent into barbarism"
This is what we all feel and what
many OF us say-until we are brought
face to face with case where one of
our own women has been the victim of
the man who is to be punished. Then
we either Join the mob and string the
man up or rejoice when others have
done IL and left us guiltless OF actual
participation in the deed.
After the crime has been conn itted
and the criminal apprehended the one
burning question always is, shall the
woman who is the victim of the crime.
and who has already suffered agonies
SURPRISING the agonies OF death, be
dragged into court--there, before Judge,
jury, lawyers, and giggling spectators,
TO be ross-questioned upon the great
wrong done her? The usual answer to
this question is mo" Then Judge
Lynch is called in. 4 What is the
remedy?
Theoretically we all agree with Mr..
Barton. Practically we cannot find it
in our hearts to condemn the men VII
rid community of one OF those iiends
who is ever sneakine about lonely
country houses seeking an opportunity
10 make a victim OF q white woman.
for certain offences the time which
shall elapse between the commission of
the offence and its expiration on the
scaifoid should be so short that the
lyncher will find his occupation gone,
and all men will learn to look to the
law as the sure and just punisher of
the guilty, as they should ever ind in
1t the certain protector to the limo
cent"
We fear that this will not be enough;
but we are willing to do anything, try
anything which would stop that crime
which causes nearly ali the lynchings.
From the Charleston News and Courier.
We should be looking carefully and
earnestly for some means and measures
TO arrest this growing evil. 1t will not
do to accept it as a matter of course or
OF little consequence. Contempt of law,
when allowed to go UNPUBLISHED and
unchallenged by authority, brings all
law surrender their prisoners to a mob
on demand, there is no further use in
the community for officers or for the
courts they represent. We have got to
a point where we must stop and go
back, or allow our civilization and
society to go to ruin Young men and
half grown boys attend these lynchings
and take part in them. 1t is a bad
school in which 70 train the f,tlre
citizens OF the State.
We should go about finding and an.
plying some remedy for the existing
conditions at once. In the absence of
any other proposed plan. we have sug.
gested that such a modification Of our
present system Of holding court be de-
vised aud ordered by the next legisla-
ture as will remove all occasion or pre-.
text for the resort to lynching, by sub.
shutting for the mob court special
and regular court to be convened as
soon as the accused person is arrested,
ana 10 try him and punish him within