The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-03
Governor Atkinson
on Judge Lynch


From the Pi iladelphia Ledger.
A large portion of the message of Gov
| ernor Atkinson to the Georgia state as
| sembly is devoted to a ringing denuncia-
| tion of lynching, which has become so
| alarmingly prevalent in his and other
states. 1t would be well If other govern
| ors would take the subject up in the same
| manly and fearless way, and suggest the
| same or other feasible methods to check
| the crime. Governor Atkinson prefaces
| the important topic by noting the serious
| increase ofCri me in Georgia, and Conse-
quently, of the prison population. He
| finds that the number of convicts have
| increased from SS5 in 1871 to 1852 in this
| year, exclusive of 1850 which are in the
| county chain gangs, and, futher, that the
| increase of crime in Georgia, and conse-
| negro race. In 1871, he says, 10 per cent.
| of the convicts were white, and 1897 only
s per cent, while during this period the
blacks in the penitentary have increased
| GOO per cent. More negroes were received
| into the penitentiary in 1896 than in the
years 1869. 1870 and 1871, and he adds:
| This result has been reached in spite of
| the fact that, in addition to what has
| been done by towns and cities supporting
| local school systems, We have spent with
| ing that time about four million dollars
| in an effort to educate the people that
| they may become better citizens"
o
The governor does not admit that this
| expenditure of money has been a waste,
| for he holds that it is unquestionably true
| that large number of the negro race
have made progress intellectually and
morally but he says: while this con-
dition exists among the better element,
| considerable per cent. of them have no
| regard for law or morals, and, from this
| element the penitentiary is being replen-
| ished with alarming rapidity. How TO
| correct this decentralization and elevate
| this people to a better standard of cti-
zenship is a problem which must call into
| requisition the nobility of character and
| the wisdom of the Anglo-Saxon." He OBJ
| serves that to educate this element with
out at the same time giving them moral
| instruction is an injustice to them and
| to society. He suggests that it is there
| fore the part of wisdom to look more TO
| character in selecting the teachers who
are to receive the state money for SER
| vices in the schoolroom.
| With this introduction, Governor At
| kinson proceeds on his message to the
| alarming frequency of the graYcr crimes,
| which have so aroused the fear and re-
| sentiment of the people to cause them
TO resort TO lynching without waiting the
| action OF the machinery of the law.
| Within the last three years, he SAYS, there
| have been in Georgia twenty-five lynch
| ings, a little more than an average of
| seven year. While the governor ad-
| mits that in dealing with this question
| the people of the Southern states are of
all people, in the most trying position, on
| account OF having a large percentage OF
the population clothed with the rights and
| privileges or citizenship, before receiving
/ the training necessary to prepare them
| for the duties and responsibilities there
or the people schould be more determined
In insisting upon leaving to courts and
| juries the punishment of yiolators of the
law. If defects exist in the law, he de-
| clares emphatically the remedy is not TO
Ignore and violate the law. but to amend
| 1t. The citizens cannot be justified in
trampling upon law and assuming the
| functions OF Judge jury and executloneer;
| the man who does becomes a criminal
| The governor then adds forcibly that the
| frequency OF lynchngs within the last
| few years Is calculated to alarm. every
| citizen who realizes the dreadful results
| to which IL leads. To denominate these
offenses lynchings does not make them
| less lawless or barbarOus. An act like
this 'is an attack upon government it.
| self-a conflict between the force of an
archy and law. 1t is fundamentally
| wrong, because IL defes government. iE-
| nores law and Furnishes without law or
| evidence. Under our government, laws
| are made and unmade at the will of the
| majority. III there are unwise laws, the
| people can repeal; II a need for one, the
people can enact. Any organized effort
to set at naught our laws, and punish
crime without and in defiance of the law,
is itself criminal. 1t is worse than crlml-
nal. In it's very essence, it is treason
against the majority and against govern
| ment."
Governor Atkinson follows this scath-
ing arraignment by declaring that a mob
is not safe tribunal TO justly determine
any cause, and supports his position by
| reciting numerous cases where lynehed
men were afterwards clearly proved 10
be innocent Of the crimes charged against