The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-28
Defenders of LynchinE.


The Boston Herald. in an editorial arti-
T Gle in its issue Of last Monday. says: I'VE
wish that the people at the south who
have come out so vigorously in defense of
the barharous practice of lynching- could
/ appreciate more clearly than they seem
to the causes that have led to the denun-
citation of this crime by the people OF Mas
sachusetts"
There are in the south. as in other
parts Of the country. great many who
are outspoken in favor Of lynching those
who are guilty of the crime for which
Iynching is the most common in the south
but we are not aware that there are in
the south any conspicuous defenders Of
lynching. except Senator Tmman of
South Carolina. and in view of the fact
that he proposed. in the constitution con-
vention of that state a plan to prevent
lynchngs, it is fair to assume that he is
not so much in favor of lynch law as
he was when he was that states chief
magistrate.
We do not know Of a single newspaper
Of influence in the south that attempts
to excuse lynching. on the contrary. all
of them condemn the crime in the strong
est terms The crime is condemned by
the press. the pulpit and by leading citi-
zens. In fact. all the means for shaping
public sentiment are used against it, We
do not understand therefore what he
Herald means when it speaks of the peo-
pie in the south who have come out so
vigorously in favor Of the barbarous prac-
tice of lynching"
The Herald says that the defense of
lynching to which it refers is interpreted
in Massachusetts to mean that the south
ern people have no confidence in their
courts The courts in the south are not
corrupt, nor do the judges hesitate to
enforce the laws against criminals OF all
classes. The complaint the people have
against them is that they permit too
great delays in bringing criminals to trial.
The delays in the rural districts are cue
between the terms Of the courts and the
other is the ease with which continuances
of important criminal cases are obtained
In the cities the courts are in session
pretty much all the time, but it is very
easy matter apparently to get a contln-
uance of case.
If there were a provision in the law
requiring the judges to hold special terms
to try criminals charged with crimes of
violence justice would be made swifter
and the people would be much more in
clined to let the law take it's course. If
there was assurance that a man charged
with criminally assaulting a woman
would be tried within a week, or two
weeks after his arrest. there would be
notable decline in the number of lynch
ings.
But one great reason why lynch law is
resorted to in cases where a woman is
concerned. is to avoid bringing the in
jured woman on the witness stand in a
court room crowded with curious people,
Most women prefer to endure in silence
the injury they have suffered rather than
to be closely questioned in a court of
justice about 1t, and the purpose 10 shield
the woman from such an ordeal is at the
bottom of most of the lynchings. If the
Boston Herald will give the matter Of
lynchings careful consideration it will
discover that lack of confidence in the
courts is not the sole cause of the lynch
ings.