The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-10-28
REMEDY FOR MOB VIOLENCE
Governor Atkinson Says Lynchers
Sh0uh Be Killed.
His Views theiAfost Vigorous That
Have Ever Been Advanced by
Southern Executive.

Atlanta, Ga, Oct 2S.-Gov. w. Y. At
kinson's annual message to the le gislature
devotes much spaee to the lynching ques
ton, and the options which the governor
advances are about the most vigorous tha {
nave ever come rom Southern execu.
tive Following are some OF the more strik
ing passages from the M ssage:
IN IA free government like ours there is
no excuse Tor lync1lng. If there is evidence
10 CONVICT, the.cOlrJ Will PUNISH; II there
ne not, puIlsilinei should not he Inflicted.
Inc courts OF our State can be trusted to
punish Tue guilty anu protect our propert ",
our persons, a nj the LoIlor ana virtue OF
our women. 1 an ueeply concerned Tor II
remedy Ior the eyl. thai We ma Y save from
quit the men whoengage in II ana prot cot
the innocent, whoare Too often sacrificed.
Inc MOB is not safe tribunal TO justly
determine any capSs. No long since, IN
this state, IL rs SAIL that mob which ma d
gathered failed To take acton because of
a DIVISION ia theirown RANKS, on. portion
Wishing To hang man who mad not been
trieu, anu Jic Otfer 20 liDprdie one who
Iau Deen tired, heard IN all tn. courts and
sentenced To BE- naIgeu for murder. 1 feel
the NOR. deeply uTOn TINS question, because,
from the best information l can secure,
DeileNe tnaJ during administration there
nave DeefI IN TINS = lat ver3i men iynchel
WHO were not guilty of the crimes with
winch they werc charged. How many can
ell and they are uenleu an OPPORTUNITY 10
prove their innocence.
L am Informed that one man whom the
mob i'eheved 10 ~ guilty Was shot no WI /.
question then arose as 10 his identity
anu ne was stated down ike Il hog shipped
To the location or the crime, and found to
be the wrOJg nIan-an innocent man.
Responsibility fU the crime OF lynching
rests not only upn the actors, but UPON
the community winch SHUTS It's eyes To tine
crime and permits and toe rat-s IL and UPON
Loan
press IL. Ii can and VIII be stopped when
the better element, VINO depI ecate mon
law, aEgTeSSiN ely Condemn ana determine
10 suppress the practice. 1t IL 10 excuse
to say that the AortneI people, who have
less 10 provoke them 10 lt, lynch. Let us
not take them as standard, but rather
show higher type III CisIuzatIon III our
state. and erect mere "A standard To which
they may aspire.
Lyncn law mas not been restricted to
cases where the charge was an Uutra ge upon
a Iemaie. In Texas nan WAS isH, ca
simply to suppress hisevidence: in Kentucky,
because ne was Objectionable to the neign-
bOrnood, and IN Indiana, five men were
lynched for burglary. In our state, in the
last Jurer yedi =, seven lIeu a., u
lynched for murder, and one man and one
woman because they were suspected OF
arson. Delay cannot be given as a reason
nor a fear that justice Will be defeated. AT
Monticello aad Columbus the men Were
taHen out OF the Courtroom during the thai
and lyHched. In most Cases they are Ia Ken
from tnc custody oil Objects oil TIE law
when they know that court Will convene
and give speedy trial.
he arresttng OIitOcT Is now clothed
WIN authority 40 take tue life 81 the aSSaIl-
ants wnen resisting their efforts TO take
prisoner from his custody, ami IL Is nis
duty to take life II neCcsssry 10 protect the
prisoner and retain Inn in custody. This
ne should tie reqInreq To Go al tie Iisk OF
his own life or tie prisoner should lie nn
shackied, armed ana given an opportunity
TO defend HIMSELF
The knowledge On tie Part Of the mob
that this would bc done would deter IL
from pursuing its lawless pUTI ose, and the
law would he permitted to pIuIeCt the InnO-
cent and punish the guilty. hat II nay
lie asCertaIued whether or not the officer
having the prisonerfin custody does his fun
duty in every instance, ! recommend the
pa sage OF a law requiring thorough IN
yestiga ton IN every case and providing ade-
uuate puni shInent when lie falls snort Of
the full measure: of has duty in protecting
his prisoner.