New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-18
TILL IYNCHERS' PROGRESN.

The hideous murders at Versailles. lhd.' the
other day form n striking object-iesson III VIVA
might be called progressive popular crlinlnaiIl!'
They mark the end-Or perhaps. unhappll!' NOT
vet the end but one of the advanced statiohS
TO which those come who once depart from
The only safe ground OF faith in equal law ana
the orderly administration OF justice. There is
= broad midland between Government ana
Anarchy but Il affords no fixed abiding place,
and all who temporarily occupy it inevitably
cravitate TO the one side or the other. Those
who abandon the former seldom return. Their
descent TO the latter is steady and expeditions
and return If ever desrcd-and ii seldom Is
most difficult 1t is the old story over AGAIN. %
the descent into hyernus.
Sporadic lynchings there have been nj al
times In the history of the Republic. Eras Of
systematic lynchng there have also Deeh-'"o
or three Hitherto they have been due to Spe-
cial circumstances. The one best known ana
oftenest cited rs an extenuatlng example was
that in California. in early days. But that was
so deliberate and systematic as to approach the
sanctity of law. The Vigilance Committee ad-
minlstered not revenge, but justice, and IN a
dlspassionate and orderly fashion. Few courts
are more punctilious than 1t was IN observing
points Of law, in determining the guilt OF me
accused and in melting ont the penalty IN dlg-
nihed and. so far as possible. humane manner
There were no burnings, no tortnrings, no hoos'
and there were few mistakes. Technically II
was Illegal; but II might more properly be caiied
extra-legal 1t was the administration or law
and order by an extra-lcCal authority in com
munity where no efficient and trustworthy legal
authority existed.
In a later day. and In another state OF society,"
men again rcsCrted Ia systematic lynchinS'
They did so at first only in cases or paIpaDle
failure of justice" and in cases OF PARTICULAR!
hcinous crime in which there was reason 10
fear such failure: and they did their work as
quickly and mercifully as they could FROM
that they went on TO the same resort in all cases
of violation Of women: because, they said, that
was 50 abominable an offence that the most
speedy and exemplary punishment OF II was
required 10 deter others from committing II.
And there are not few usually serious minded
mon in evrv community who incline 10 that
opinion. But there was no stopping there. The
next step was 10 torture "a well as 10 XII, so
that the criminal might feel something com
parable with the pangs Of his victim ana other
lawless men might be more forcibiy warned
against the repetition OF the crime. 80 came
series OF mutIlatlons, hayings, burnings ana
other uncomfortable horrors rlyalling those OF
the Apaches and the kurds
But easy IL the descent. II was not enough
10 lynch known vlolators Of women. They he
gan to lynch those who We're merely suspected
of the crime and then those who were suspect
ed of nothing more than an attempt or an In
1cntOn 10 commit II. and N last those who were
admittedly innocent. but were taken NJ sub
stitules for the guilty. 50 this was the pro-
ccdure: woman would say she thought
negro meant to assault her: that negro could
not be found; so they took any other that came
to hand. by lot or chance. and lynched him las
a warning" Even there the hideOuS progress
was not stayed. Lynchlng was extended 10 the
punishment of other crimes OF crimes FOR which
no civilized community in modern times has
thought OF imposing The death penalty. Now, n
Is shown with too dreadful cl"arncSs merely
to be suspected Of minor crime is deemed
sufficient 10 subject a man 20 all The midnight
rigOrs OF lynch law. These men who were muir
dcred at Versailles had not violated women
nor done murder nor arson Al worst they
were burglars. and some Of them were merely
suspected Of being such. and That on the most
shadowy of grounds They bad been arrested
and were in the way Of trial and II found
gullty-of punishment. Yet the people were not
satisfied They stormcd the Jail and murdered
the prisoners in cold blood a crime incidentally
more heInous than any and all the crimes the
prisoners had ever committed
No possible excuse for such an airoclty can
be conceived II Is not supposabc that one Of
the lynchcrs themselves would seriously try 10
offer one. The killing was done. aS such Kill
ings commonly done nowadays simply
through sheer lust Of blood; the same passion
only in greater degree, as that which thrills
with joy the spectators AT Spanish bullight
and the same, in scarcely less degree, rs that
which prompted Nero to the torture and butch
cry Of Christians in the Roman arena. These
men had no regard for law or for the repression
Of burglary. They simply wanted to enjoy the
pleasure OF gOatng over the agony and death
Of some Of their fellow men. To that appalling
state have men been brought through the prac
tice Of taking the law into their own hands"