The Van Buren press., 1897-09-11

HOikHHfu pulldH tHlOpyt supPiCuChtcu
by st,athern office seekers, have so ex-
allied his consequence and his desire for
social equality that his fear of punish
ment has been allayed. But certain it is
that the race has not yet been greatly
intmidated by lynehings, and they are
considered martyrs by most of their
preachers and teachers and editors.
How many more outrages there would
be if these lynehings should stop we
can only conjecture. Bishop Turner
proposed a day of fasting and prayer
for the deliverance of his people from
these horrible lynchings, but not
word about the outrages that provoke
them.
But it is curious and somewhat
amusing to read the different counts
in this general bill of indict-
ment against the people who
resort to violence. Some assert We
hemently that there is a defect in
the laws machinery, ard some say not.
One preacher says that 9s PER cent. of
those indicted escape. One more would
come square up to Judge Doolys
estimate when he said: Gentlemen of
the jury, charge you that ninety-nine
guilty ones have already escaped One
learned lawyer says that Ryder would
certainly have been tried and convicted
in September, and doubtless been speed
ilv executed. Another says he would
have been sent to the asylum as
lunatie. Judge Bleckley says the law
needs no reforming-that 1t is right
now. The Bar association have resolved
that it does need reforming. One
preacher quotes Scripture that says
"The land must not be defiled with
blood" but does not give the context
that says "innoeent blood" and the fur
ther context that says: "Deliver him
unto the hand of the ayenger of blood
that he may die, and thine eye shall not
pity him." Life for life, hand for hand,
etc. Let them stone him with stones,
etc. 1t seems like a burlesque for any
preacher to go to the old Mosaic law for
a text against summary punishment of
henous crimes. The avenger of blood
was ON the warpath all the time and
GNGn lut lidu wiz dli0iAtlhS iAii1t'
his neighbor, not hating him before
hand, had to fly for his life to the city
of refuge lest the avenger of blood over
take him, and, being hot, shall slay him.
Yes, being hot shall slay him. Those
avengers of blood must have been blood
thirsty fellows indeed. 1t was an awful
code of law, but the children of Israel
were an awful race to deal with. |
wonder what the boys of this genera
tion would say to law like this: "lf
man have stubborn and rebellious
son who will not obey the voice of his
father or his mother, then shall his
father lay hold on him and bring him to
the elders and say: This, our son will
not obey our voice. And all the men of
the city shall stone him with stones
that he die. And Israel shall hear and
fear" What horrible death was that
And yet it was common and frequent
punishment. If | was a preacher |
wouldn't go 20 the Old Testament for Il
text against lynching. wouldn't even
quote Cain, whom the Lord marked,
for it seems very certain that If the
Lord had not interfered the people
would have lynched him. Josephus
says that the Lord protected him be-
cause of his Offering and because he en-
treated and said: "Is my sin too great
to be forgiven?"
To my mind the sum of the whole
matter is that neither the laws delay
nor its uncertainty has anything to do
with the impulses and emotions that
control men when they pursue and
overtalie and identify and execute a
uegro for his crime against helpless in
nocence. Every parent and husband
and brother in the neighborhood i'm
mediately becomes an avenger of blood.
If the brute has already been caught by
the officers of the law and securely
placed in prison, then let him stay there
and meet his doom according to law. I
would not take any prisoner away from
faithful and honest sherifl-unless
perhaps the victim was one of my fam
lily, nor even then unless it could be
done without shedding the blood of Of
feers or friends.
For all other crimes the laws we have
are good enough for all good citizens,
and feel no great concern for the bad
| suppose that at least half the lawyers
carry concealed weapons, but they don't
carry them for me. Certain it is want
no advice on this subject from press or
pulpit, from judges or lawyers, and es-
pecially from young unmarried men or
those who live in rock-bult cities. had
rather hear and heed the voice of the
women of this southern land, the
mothers and daughters who alone are
the victims when peril comes, il it
comes at ALL What do they say ?-Bill
Arp, in Atlanta Constitution.