The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-12-12

older States of the Union, both North
and South, have broken loose from the
restraints that civilization imposes, and
instead of leaving the punishment of
criminals to the courts established for
that purpose, have wreaked vengeance
upon offenders with reckless haste. and
sometimes with cruel savagery. These
Iapses into mob rule are a disgrace to
the country.
And not only is the nation disgraced
by such performances, but the steady
and rapid growth oflynch law threatens
our very civilization. The fundamen-
tai characteristic that distinguishes civ
iliZatiOn from barbariSm is the substi
tuition of the court for the mob, of the
orderly process Of judicial tribunal
for the wild vengeance of crowd that
knows no responsibility. This is all
that gives any man security of person
and property in well-governed COM
munity. Every person in such COM
munity knows that neither his posses
sions nor his life can be taken from him
without "due process Of law" that if
he shall be accused of a crime he will
court before a jury of his peers: that if
he shall be innocent, he will need to
have no fear of unjust punishment
Once let this assurance be lost, once let
men generally come to doubt whether
justice will be dispensed in this orderly
fashion. and nation will be started
on the road that leads back to bar
barlSm.
Unless halt shall Immediately be
called and a right about face" move
ment executed, we shall all before long
plainly see that the American nation,
great and advanced as we consider it,
is travelling this downward path. No
country can lynch men by the score
every year, no country can permit mobs
to torture helpless victims. without
danger to its stability. If the foreign
dispatches during 1895 had reported the
occurrence in England or France or
Germany of the outrages that have been
perpetrated in the United States, every
one in this country would have said that
the people on the other side of the At
lantic must be declining in civilization
Lynching must stop. Honor and safety
alike require this. We shall be i'm
periled as we'll as disgraced unless we
insist upon it.
Prompt and fearless action by the
courts in every case Of crime is theprime
essential. The people must always fee
perfect assurance that any offender will
be brought to trial without days un
necessary delay, and that, if his guilt
shall be proved punishment to the full
extent of the law will also follow with
out delay. Such an administration OF
justice is all that any reasonable maj
can ask, and with such an admins
tration no excuse is left for mob inter
ference
NOway of satisfactorily establishing
either the guilt or the innocence Of ;
man accused of fragrant crime exist
except through his trial in court
A mob, by its very nature, is incapable
of deliDeration or fairness. 1t is sway
ed by its passions. A crowd of heate(
, men is in no mood for discrimination
, 1t may even refuse to be baked in it
4 purpose if some doubt appears as t.
, whether it has really found the guilt.
, man. Instances have occurred durin
q the present year in which mob ha
:, put to death man who has afterWar
y been proved to have been innocent
Trial by jury protects the innocent
n while it assures the punishment of tn
h guilty. Trial by mob is contradit
4 ton of terms. "A good jury will 'le
4 no guilty man escape and it will nc
allow an innocent man who has bee
q arrested merely on suspicion to b
q hurried to death. Courts being al
o solutely necessary, we must give theI
O our hearty support. Judges and il
n ries are but human, and they are il
F. sensibly affected by the atmosphel
o of public sentiment by which the
% are surrounded Jacksonville Ola
J. Weekly Citizen.
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