The broad ax., 1899-04-01

4< uatkf argue tnAk tyuc1 law u Z
diserace upon any state, but that
the Law does not provide any
adequate punishment for certain
heinous ohenses; that pettifogeine
lawyers block the machinery Of
justice; and that consequently there
is some Justification for the bar
barous dramas repeatedly enacted
in some of cur states.
The lynchings in Arkansas. the
story Of which is told in the dis
patches, show that this apology for
lnWlessness does not apply in this
instance. Il Is said that seven
colored persons are known to have
been put TO death, while there may
be many others who have suffered 4
similar fate. But the thirst for
blood is not yet satisfied. aWhite
men, says one account, aare col
lecting in mobs heavily armed and
determined; negroes are fleeing for
their lives, and the community il
in an uproar.D
There is no proof in view that
this wholesale massacre. worthy of
head-hunters and cannibals. Is due
to . desire TO asenge . victim of
criminal assault; it Is merely stated
that frequent murders have oc-
curred, and thefts and fights, but
as TO the color Of the perpetrators.
there may reasonably be difference
Of opinion. These murders thefts
and fights are not given as the
cause of the wholesale uprising.
Its explained that Carefully laid
plans had been made BY number
Of negroes q precipitate q race
war, and that many white men had
been marked for yictims.s And so
the massacre vas commenced.
Did the white mob stop to In.
vestigate whether there was any
truth in the rumor that negroes
we're planning trace war;" Do
they expect the civilized part of
the country to accept their word
for it, when they lift their hands
dripping with the blood Of their
fellow-men to high heaven in
solemn assurance Of the Justice of
their proceedings? Hardly. There
i something horrible and revolt
ing In the whole sanguinary ont
break. We are questioning the
ability OF Cubans and Filipinos to |
govern themselves, while at the
same time We astonish the world
with the reports of murderous out
RACES committed within our own
borders.
And one of the greatest evils |
now Is that the public conscience |
seems to be dead to the inexpressi.
ble horror, injustice and danger of |
such crimes. There appears to be
no strong general desire to sup
press them. Only recently a meas
ure was proposed to the Indiana
Legislature against lynching. The
governor recommended that coun.
hes in which lynchinEs occurred
should be held liable for damages
10 the nearest of kin of the victims
L was the opinion of the governor
that such 3 law would incite to
diligence on the part of taxpayers
% devise plans for the prevention
# their occurrence. But the leg
slature failed to pass the law. and
viii think themselves
justified IN supposing that mob law
las received Legislative endorse
nent.
Undoubtedly there have beenI
ases of lynching in which the
ictims have been guilty Of the !
rimes Of which they are accused. T
'nt numerous innocent people have 9
zen sacrificed to the Moloch oil ,
mobocracy. Such things can !
Of continue indefinitely, whether
.gislaturss endorse them or not '
liFlne retribution viii come sooner (
later, and the red stains left ON
le face Of the land By ruthless i,
Iurderers may only be washed ont
food Of Divine wrath. :