The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1894-11-24
BEGINNING TO BEAR FRUIT,

The agitation against lynching has
begun to bear fruit, says an exchange.
The horrible butchery of half dozen
innocent negroes at Memphis to graf
ify personal grudge and cover up
crime has aroused the people of that
city from their lethargy, and they have
determined to punish the perpetrators
of that horrible outrage. But the
prompt action of Governor Mckinley
and the courage ofColonei Colt in up
holding the dignity of the law at
Washington Courthouse, Ohio, have
demonstrated that the mob can be re-
sisted and the verdict of the court car
ried out at the point of the bayouet.
There has been the most universal ap-
| proval OF the action of the officials IN
Ohio everywhere and by all people ex-
cept those who were engaged in that
attempt to lyuch the negro Dolby at
Washington Courthouse. The Repub-
licans of Ohio are talking about nom
mating Sheriff Cook for state treas
urer, and the Democrats want to make
| Colonel Colt their candidate for mayor
of Columbus.
The sonth is also awakening to the
danger of mob rule, and many OF the
southern papers heartily approved the
action of the Ohio soldiers in firing
upon the mob and protecting their
prisoner until the sheriff had landed
him In the penitentiary. And now
comes Governor Jones, the retiring
| executive of Alabama, with most
forcible message to the legislature on
this question. The governor admits
that "within the past two years nine
prisoners, who were either in Jail or in
the custody of the officers, have been
taken from them without resistance
and put to DEATH in Alabama.
"There was doubt of the guilt of the
defendants in most of these cases"
says Governor of Jones, "and few of
them were charged with capital Of
fenses. Nome of them snvotued the
crime of rape"
This official declaration from Cover
nor Jones, of Alabama, is fiat con-
tradiction of the charges made by those
who have tried to excuse lynchipg in
the south as only resorted to in cases
of outrages against women. And yet
the governor confesses that not single
arrest has been made, nor has any
grand jury in bis state returned bill of
indictment against lynchers. OF this
negligence he says:
This would indicate either that local pub.
lie sentiment approved these acts OF vio-
lence or was too weak to punish them, or
that the officers charged with that duty
were in some way lacking In their perform
ance. The evil cannot be cured or reme-
died by silence as to its existence. Un-
checked, it will continue until it becomes a
reproach to our good name and menace to
our prosperity and peace; and it behooves
you to exhaust all remedies within your
power to find better preyentives for such
crimes.
He, therefore, recommends to the |
legislature that authority be vested in
the governor to remove or suspend |
from office any officer who fails to re-
sist mob violence against his prisoners,
and he further recommends the enact
ment OF law giving the family of any
person put to death by mob right
of recovery against the county where
the crime occurred, unless blood Is shed
in defense of the prlsoaer or some of
the participants in the mob are not
convicted within year.
This is we believe, the boldest official
arraignment os lynching that has been
made in this country by state execu-
tive, and it is the more forcible because
it comes from governor of southern
state, who admits that he has been
unable to have justice done because of
the public sentiment in the localities
where these lynchings occurred.
There can be no excuse for mob vio-
lence " here are established courts, and
where these are easily accessible to any
one who has been wronged, or where
there Is no public sympathy with crime.
The people of the south should believe
10 the supremacy of law, and the coun-
try would stand fairer in the eyes of the
civilized world if they would permit
the law to take its conrse in the pun
ishment of all criminals 1t is to be
hoped that there will be commend
able reformation in this respect, and
that the action of Gov. Jones, of Ala
oama, will be followed by other south
,rn executives.