The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-06
The Conrts 10 RInme.

We have said many times that much of
the blame for lynchings rests upon the
courts. The laws delay makes the peO-
pie doubt that criminals will be punished.
The courts may say they do their whole
duty. The people do not believe they do,
and in almost any community you will
hear the people talk of the ease with
which men charged with crimes Of vio-
lence are acquitted. 1t is the exception,
rather than the rule, that white man
charged with murder or assault with in
tent to kill, is brought to trial promptly,
if he has influential friends. Continuance
after continuance is granted until the
states witnesses have disappeared, or
have been led to think the circumstances
of the crime were different from what
they at first appeared to be.
All over the south much of the re-
sponsibility for crimes of violence is
placed upon the courts. That this is true
is shown by the comments in the news
papers on the barberous and horrible
lynching that occurred in Tyler Tex, last
week. In speaking of that lynching the
Galveston News, the leading paper of
Texas, says: 1T cannot be out of place
to learn an important lesson even from
the citizen with the rope or the torch.
Why does he persist in taking the law
into his own hands, in performing the law
full work that others are elected, com
missioned and paid to perform? Where
is the weakness in our system out of
which these popular orgies of blood and
flame have grown? The News viii tell
you. 1t is the uncertainties, delays and
farces of the court house. The wise con-
stitutional provision for a speedy trial is,
as a rule, utterly disregarded by the courts
Of the country.
at has been only a few years since a
rape fend was liberated time and again at
a Texas court house TO repeat his at
tacks upon helpless girls and women of
the vicinity, almost in the shadow of that
edifce. Crime finally rendered it neces-
sary for him to leave Texas, and, after
numbering two young women in another
state he was hanged by citizens of Ken
lucky. With the preposterous delays, re-
versals and failures of the courts, the ex-
trayagant exercise of the pardoning pow
er by the Altgelds of 40 country, the
trickery, acquittals or escapes that fol-
low alF these chances and opportunities,
to condemn mob violence is almost like
whistlng in the wind. There is no good
reason why the man who undoubtedly
commits rape or murder to-day should
not be tried tomorrow and hanged the
day after"
There are very few lynchings in the
south, except. for enc crime, but there are
a great many homicides. The lynchings
and the homicides will cease in proportion
as the courts do their duty. A week or
/ so ago a negro was arrested near Alex
/ andria, Va, for the crime for which ne
groes-are lynched in the south. He was
tried and convicted the day after he was
convicted, and hanged on the day follow
! ing his conviction. We undertake to say
that there will be no more lynchings for
any crime in that section. Let the people
believe that the law will co whatever
| killing there is to be done, and will do
it promptly. and there will be no more
lynchings. The same thing is true in
respect to homicides. A man is going to
think twice before he shoots down an.
other man in a community where the
courts punish murder promptly. II
! judges, prosecuting attorneys and juries
could be made to appreciate the great.
ness of their responsibilities and the ex-
tent to which the best interests of soci
ETY. are in their keeping we should have
the laws vigorously and promptly en-
forced in every case involving a crime Of
violence.