The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-30
GEORGIA
GA SENTIMENT
LYNCEING.
ON

In his message Governor Atkinson
of Georgia took strong grounds against
lynching. The question of what shall
be done to suppress Iynching is to come
up in the legislature, and viii be one
of the important issues to be disposed
of. IN view of this fact the Atlanta
Journal interviewed a number of mem
bers Of the legislature. Some Of the
views were as follows:
Representative ]. L. Boynton of CAL
houn county said, in part:
This fault of the law, or it's admin
istration. in connection with the impa-
tience and impulsiveness characteristic
OF the Anglo-American, makes lynching
probable at any time for atrocities and
certain for the most heinous crime so
often perpetrated upon women and
young girls. I think the government
is wasting efforts to create a popular
sentiment against lynching for rape
it is loves labor lost; for lynching is
inevitable SO long as the crime that
produces it exists. All laws on that
line put on statute books fall still
born and are dead before they are pro-
mulgated. l say this because it is
true, and not because 1 advocate lynch
law.
representative W. S. West of Lown-
des county:
1 do not think that the general as
sembly can enact any law that would
have any effect upon lynching. Some
times there are crimes committed in the
state which call for lynching, while at
other times there is no excuse for it in
the least. 1t is a difficult question to
determine. I can only say: Stop the
crime and you will stop the lynching.
Dr. J. W. Taylor, one of the foremost
Masons in the state, and also leading
factor in the house of representatives
The men of Georgia are going to pro-
tect their daughters and wives from
the mercy Of the negro brute so long
as the state stands. If you want to
first prevent the crime that leads up
to it.
Representative ]. w. Law (negro):
The only solution of the lynch ques-
ton in Georgia that I see, is the educa-
ton of the negro. ignorance causes
more crime in Georgia than any other
thing. Educate the negro and you will
prevent the crime of rape.
Senator w. w. Turner of the Thirty
seventh district said:
1 have no decided views on the ques-
ton whatever. If I were to say any
thing, though for the prevention of
lynching in Georgia, it would be to
drive the liquor traffic from our state.
Seventy per cent of the crime which
causes lynching, 1 believe, is perpetrat-
ed while the persons brain is lulled
from drink. The effects of whisky
gives d man holder feeling, and
prompts him to do things that he
wouldn't do were he free from the drug.
This is the best remedy can prescribe.
Yancey Carter, who viii probably be
the next Populist candidate for govern
or Georgia:
have not made a close study of the
! governors message, and cannot say
whether my views concur with those OF
his or not The main cause of lynchings
in this state, so far as am able to
discern, is primarily due to the incom-
potency of the officers who are en-
ployed to protect the prisoners. If an
officer had the true manhood about
him to properly execute the duties en-
trusted to him, lynchings in Georgia
would be greatly mitigated. Nine times
out of ten where there is lynching in
this state the officers form a conspir-