The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-21
LYNCH LAW IN GEORGIA.
The Charge or Criminal Assault ns an Excuse
for LynchinEs and tho Record.

LYNCH LAW IN GEORGIA.
The Charge OF Criminal Assault NJ an Excuse
for LynchinEs and the Record.
Gov. Atkinson,o of Georgia has been persistent
In his opposition to mob law, all through his
first term, and in his second term, which ho 10
now serving, he has undoubtedly done a great
deal toward curbing the excuses Of the mob
| spirit in his State. He deserves well Of the
people of Georgia and of the whole country
for the unyielding stand he has always taken for
the orderly enforcement of the laws. Those
who are familiar with the conditions and the
temper Of the people of Georgia appreciate at
its full value the service he has rendered. 1t
is q position not easily taken and maintained
in such an atmosphere by a young and ambitious
man. He has had to encounter fierce oppose
ton from leaders and masses, but instead Of
diminishing, 1t has rather intensified his zeal.
In his annual message to the Legislature a
short time ago Gov. Atkinson took advanced
ground in his recommendations for legislation
that would stamp out mob law. He said:
This barbarous practice does not decrease,
but increases crime. Having stained their
hands in blood, its perpetrators are more
easily led to again violate the law.
That it may be ascertained whether or not
the officer having the prisoner in custody does
his full duty in every instance. l recommend the
passage of n law requiring n thorough investi-
CATION in every case, and providing adequate
punishment when he falls short of the full
measure of his duty in protecting his prisoner.
When this is done he should be ineligible to
election or appointment to any office until
his disabilities are removed by the General
Assembly. The administrator or family Of a
party taken from the custody Of an officer and
killed should be authorized to recover from
the county the full value of the life, which in
no case should be less than $1,000" The
Governor further recommended that prisoners
attacked by mobs be unshaokled, armed with
a gun, and told to defend themselves.
These recommendations were made, also. be-
some particularly atrocious displays Of mob
violence in Georgia. The Governors recon-.
especially, that one as to arming prisoners when
attacked by rnobs. Legislators everywhere re-
fleet very generally the feeling and temper of
law as was shown recently in the resolution
Loftin at Hosansyille. The President was con.
demned for appointing a negro as Postmaster,
to assassinate him were not condemned.
New York paper has printed interviews
M ieuI Of some mob E, i iaS 's nnd the s,a GoRepno or te res sm6.
mendations. The concensus Of opinion was
that II there were no criminal assaults, there
over the South and in all of the Southern news
papers that defend or excuse mob law, the pur-
race, whose members, 1t is alleged, commit
most of these crimes; are a race Of ~rapists, a
REPRESENTATIVE b: H. Hill Of 1roup county,
case for most of those interviewed in the fol-
lowing truly remarkable statement of the case:
or attempted rape, and, in my opinion, there is
only ono way to stop ,lynching. and that is by
Unfortunately for the Hon. B. H. Hill of
Troup county and his fellow Legislators who
think as he does. the statistics are dead against
printed, an editorial article recently. a part Of
Since Jan. i, 1897, there have been ninety.
seven cases Of %lynching in the United States,
an average Of oyer twelve per month. These
giia and Louisiana, : each; Tennessee, 7; Flor,
sas, ; each; Missouri. g.; Virginia, .; Arizona
andsMarylaHd, ! each; In the North. Califor.
had one each. OF the victims of these 81
lynGhings, 80 have been negroes, ii whites; and
3 aeI lnt tiIIed for OF the the crime no 6 nseg m0rs.I lyU %biId h 80
ii have been killed for rape and o for attempt.
ing it; OF the remainder have been lynched
. for race prejudice. . for murderous assaults,
. for unknown causes, and l each for bur:
a white woman, train wrecking. refusing to give
evidence, insults. and harboring a murderer.
only about one.third of the iynchings have been
the outcome of crimes against woman, and that
more men are lynched for murder than for rape.
II there were no lynchings at all for the latter
crime the record would be dreadful enough"
So it would. and there will be no decrease in
the number of the victims of mob law as long
as men of the character of Representative B.
ii. Hill of Troup county, thousands Of whom
are scattered all over the country. fall back on
any. sort of excuse. regardless Of the truth OF
falSity OF 1t, to excuse or justify mob law.
done all the l%ynching, and for the most part the
blacks have been the victims, but this rule has
been broken. On the l4th instant a mob OF
negroes at Gibson. Ga, frustrated in their
plan to hang him, .riddled the body Of josh
Ruff. a criminal, with rifle bullets. and left il
It is:said that Ruff had assaulted the daughter
bad example. and the blacks have begun 1c
follow It. The whites used to lynch only
blacks, but they long ago began to lynch mef
Of their own race. so that now a Georgia moi
most as quickly as 1t will a black man. TIL,
blacks have begun to lynch men of their owl
lynch. white meni A mob Is a mob. a law
less force; bent upon murder. whether 1t Il
white or black, and when given sufficient rope
rs 1t VIII a black one. The record shows tina
II lynch law is tolerated in cases of crimina
assault, 1t will speedily include CHECKER
and the like.
Gov Atkinson is to be commended for hi
q dangerous spirit to be abroad In any State. ant
Is abroad in too many OF them, and shout.
encounter everywhere tho solid opposition of al
law abiding citizens. T. THOMAS FORTUNE.
COWBELLy.