The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-05-17
LYNCHING AND NATU RAJ LAW.
Every Man Who Obeys the Law Helps
to Put Down the Criminal Spirit In
Himself and Others.


In those stages of civilization where
punishments have been most arbitrary,
most swift and horrible, there has al
ways been the greatest amount OF the
worst crimes. In the localities where
mob law prevails most, and lynchings
for rape and murders are most fire.
quent, those crimes appear to increase.
When the human mind is without a
governing control over itself it cannot
be turned from scrime by fear OF
punishment hereafter. In those ages
of the world when every criminal be-
lieved he would roast forever for his
crimes in a literal. hell of fire and
rhinestone, crime was rampant to
far greater extent than now, though
the punishment inflicted for it, by
authority were often extremely horrl-
BILE. Men were often torn asunder by
horses, boiled alive in oil, burned at
the stake, crucifed, buried alive and
otherwise made tosuffer indescribable
agonies before the inexOrable but
tardy death came to their relief. But
neither the cross, NOR the stake, nor
boiling in oil, nor the fear of eternal
punishment has ever prevented crimes
among those who have never learned
self control. If they have history
does not show it. What it does show
is distinct ratio OF crime to lack OF
mental and moral development. The
great majority Of persons IN this
1 country have been so educated thai
5 they can control their baser passions
L If this were not SO, democratic self
government would be an idle dream
5 and the only choice would be betWeel
: complete anarchy and complete dies
D. potism.
The value of the law is for thOs
u who obey it, because if they do obe
S it. it prevents them from taking
d lawless vengeance and thereby IN
= creasing the strength Of the laWles
5; spirit. Every man who obeys tn
u law helps to put down the crimins
q. spirit in himself and others. Ever
man who does not obey it, who take
Ill lawless vengeance, increases tn
10 criminal spirit in himself and other
le Every lynching makes more rape
" and murders.
III Self-government is the only NEAR
IL re of prevention for crime, and to
Nv capable of self-government, ma
ed must be educated both morally al
IS intellectually His intellect cann
~, be developed to elf-gOvernment
NJ his morals are uneducated; and 1t
n fruitless and foolish to try to educa
81 the morals of any free man wltho
o.. as educating his intellect. Mob law al
mr. lynching not only do not lessen Il
lily number of the crimes which are ma
tn the pretext for those outbreaks
aMif M savagery, but they undoubtedly
ry- crease them. The effect of them
to lower the moral tone of the who
lir, community, and give new lmpul
an ldo crime-ward to the less develOpt
he Let us have no more of the hldeo
ng nonsense that lynching is ''the
7aI forcement of the superior natu
in law" Lynching is murder, neltf
rn- more nor less, no matter what p
zoe text or provocation may be offer
Try The only way to diminish su
~ crimes is to educate men to obey
ent law and govern themselves. This
ger the only way in which crimes OF
nee most inhuman and barbarous S
of have been diminished; it is the o.
the way in which crime can be diminish
=, Minneapolis Times.
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