The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-10
THE ABLEs CASE.

THE ABLES CASE.
The exceedingly prompt indictment and
trial Of win Ables for assaulting a white
woman was distinct and gratifying tri-
umph for law and order. Judge Bsunet
deserves. and will receive. the approval
of al law and order loving people Of the
state for deciding upon a quick trial OF
the accused. for the wisdom of his charge
to the grand jury and for the evenness
with which he held the scales of justice.
The solicitor general also IS deserving of
praise for the alacrity with which he
took hold Of the case and the vigor with
which he prosecuted it. Appling county
and the state. by the common sense
course pursued by these officials. were
saved from the stain Of another lynch
ing. We feel certain that all who heard
the charge of Judge Bennett are better
satisfied than if the vile creature, who
is to be hanged on June 80, had been
taken from the possession of the officers
of the law ana lynched.
We have always opposed lynch law for
two reasons. One Is that there Is danger
of lynching an innocent man. The other
is that it tends TO destroy respect for law,
and the community in which there is lit
tie respect for law is certain TO become
lawless sooner OF later. Besides. lynch
law has a demoralizing and degrading ef-
feet upon the people who tolerate 1t. par
ticulary upon the younger and impress
sionable element
Within the last week two cases have oc-
CURED in the northern part of the state
which show the danger with which lynch
law threatens the innocent-the cases of
Grant Bell and Harvey Minifee. In the
minds Of many people in that part of the
state these men were guilty of
most heinous offenses-offenses for
which lynching is most common.
If cooler counsel had not pre-
vailed in the case of Bell he would
have been lynched. and yet a jury after
a careful trial declared he was not guilty
There Is no doubt that Mlnlfee would
have been lynchcd if he had been caught
Immediately after the charge against him
was made. Time. however, disclosed the
fact that he was not the criminal, and so
the Governor ordered the reward offered
for him withdrawn.
It is for the good of the people, how
ever that the effort TO put stop to
lynch law is made. In his address to the
law class of Mercer University on Wednes-
day last Judge Speer said:
THE constitution of the United States
and of the state of Georgia provide that
no person shall be deprived of life, lib
erty or property without due process of
law. This is fundamental principle of
civilization, and. however terrible the
provocation, no people can shatter the
basic principles of the social system in
order to wreak a lawless vengeance upon
a vicious individual without entailing upon
everybody Of every class the Inevitable
return of all of those calamities which
civilization has labored for centuries 10
avoid"
That we cannot tolerate lynch law with
out retrograding in civilization there can
be no doubt. Every man who has given
the subject careful thought will admit
this. 1t Is far more important, therefore.
that we should protect our civilization
than crafty our desire for vengeance,
however great the provocation may be.
The wish to see a criminal, deserving of
torture, dealt with by methods swifter
than those provided by courts. must yield,
for the good of civilization, to the require
ments of the law, because experience
teaches that the welfare of society de-
mands 1t.