The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-08-23
EETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
shall the Majesty Of the Law he
Upheld or Anarchy--Whichf
tn Tho Editor OF The Post.

L y y
shall the Majesty Of the Law he
Upheld or Anarchy--Whichf
| To tho Editor OF The Post.
Richmond, Texas, August 9.--Covern-
ment is the creature Of the people. Law
Is the rule by which the government rs
sustained. The execution OF the law Is
entrusted to the officers OF the govern
ment elected by the people The peoples
only redress for wrongs. either actual or
imaginary, Is at the ballot box. For a
number OF individuals purporting TO repre-
sent an outraged people to disregard and
trail in the dust the majesty OF the law
by themselves becoming criminals and for
public opinion to uphold these criminals
and try to find excuse for the perpetra-
ton OF their crimes against the laws OF
the government they themselves created
and hold allegiance to ia anarchy.
Shall anarchy reign In our fair South
land. or shall the strong arm of the law
DO upheld. which? They tell us the law
Is abortiye In that It does not prevent
crime on furnish speedy and adequate
punishment to the criminal Ito satisfy the
Gepraved notions OF those who are ready
as the best citizens. so-called, to take
the law into their own hands, There ID
a class OF would be law bl eakcrs who are
restrained through fear OF the penalty.
Others devoid OF all fear, commit crimes
with seemingly no thought OF escape, Then
the law, not being able TO prevent
all crime, must exercise It's next Office to
punish offenders with the view OF re-
tln Inc ....t.,
OF their presence.
Everyone who is arralgncd before the
courts OF our country accused OF a crime
is tried by jury OF his peers, II then
the accused is acquitted and Justice mis-
carried who Is to blame? The jury. You
who will JON u mob and assist Ia hanging
one man viii set on the Jury and turn
loose on society another just as bad or
worse. Then you blame the officers and
lawyers who have only done their duly.
and left the discussion OF the case TO the
Jury, who is supposed to represent the poo
pie.
The crime that seems TO call for such
summary punishment is the negro rapist.
Invading the sanctlty OF own home as-
slulting our loved ones. To Say that 1t
IS hoinous crime is stating II mildly. To
say that our American manhood has ever
failed or ever will fail In protecting our
What viii we do with the negro rapIst
is the question that Is confronting us to-
day. a mob Is u coward. Have We one
single recorded case where one of our beat
citizens tso-caled) took the negro
rapist from the officers and melted out
summary punishment to him. II nay.
then why fifty or one hundred ,non to
hang one negro? II It Is murder for one
man TO hang a negro outside of the pale
N the law Ia N uuythInp l.a do
for one hundred men 10 hang the same
negro under the came circumstances
What consolation will 1t be to you after
crossing tie river OF death II YOU oTel
ycnr eyes In hades and find that at the
most the negro YOU helped to hang has
preceded you only few days, months or
years?
1t Is written, Vengeance Ia mine and
| viii repay. saith the Lord. Again. 1t
Is written; Come now, and let us rea-
son together saith the Lord. Though your
sins be as scarlet. they shall be az white
as snow. though they hc red like Grim
son, they shall we as wool"
Suppose YOU leave your wife. daughter
mother or sister In the keeping OF the
Lord Christ, not merely formally, hui ac-
tually abiding In the Lord and confding
In His word, The Lord Jesus dwelling in
their souls and living their lives Tor them.
And you, fathers. brothers, husbands sons,
accept this same Jesus aud trust Him,
aud take Him with you to your various oc-
equations. and then say whether you fear
that the negro rapist viii invade the sane
tity of your homes In your absence and
then say whether you would rather place
your trust In frail humanity or in the
Lord OF Heats.
when we take for our motto holiness
to the Lord and possess and live II, and be
able to say truly "The Lord resns, let
the earth rejoi,c," then viii come the day
when our great daily papers VIII write
twhat few they have Of the kindl some
think In this wise:
gully 100 Of the hest citizens of the
county assisted our efficient sheriff TO cap
ture the negro rapst and safely lodged
him In Jail. TO await the action Of the
Grand Jury, Tho citizens have retained
Lawyer b. TO assist In tho prosecution
The government, or nation that forgets
God and turns away frcm His statutes, HIS
judgments. His love, and falling to return
and acknowledge God and browning Him
King OF Kings and Lord OF Lords Will some
day bc utterly destroyed for its wicked
mess. History rs repeating Itself, "How
readest thou?" Or. q. w. Parsons.