The San Francisco call., 1899-12-09
MORE MOBS.

{ CARCELI had the Presidents message, deal
y ing at length with the prevalence OF mob law,
been delivered when the mob outbreak at
Maysville, Ky, occurred. Il was attended by the
singularly revolving features which have recently
characterized these outbreaks The negro was burned
81 the stake, in the presence OF thousands unmasked
His teeth and bones were eagerly scrambled for as
souvenirs, and when the fire declined school chill
dren. as young as six years, were seen poking the
fragments into the Goals and adding more fuel and
dry grass 10 the flames The victims crime was un-
speakable, and may treat OF the punishment with
no feeling OF pity Tor him. But what must be the
final effect OF such general participation by people of
al ages, in an abandonment OF passion, that infcts
such punishment even upon a brute to say moth
ing OF human being? There have been crimes as
revolving the negros committed in this city. In
deed It may be admitted that the church murders
which were eNpiated the gallows at San Quentin
were more horrible But those murders were satisfac-
tory punished by the law and its vexatious de-
lays were patiently endured by community that felt
in every fiber the full enormity and guilt of the muir
derer.
In civilized society vengeance is the function Of
the law not the right OF the individual The crime
Tor which the Maysville negro was dragged and
sashed and burned is made less frequent by these
lynchings 1t Is grievous error TO assume that anv
one IS SAFER against similar Orense because this
shreking wretch has been chained 10 tree and
burned by slow fire. The experience OF modern
peoples is that where law is instituted the very best
protection comes OF its orderly administration Lie
and person are safest to-day in the United States
where there IS the promptest submission to the law
They are the least safe where the law is most fre-
quently violated by lynching and the inhiction Of
mob violence The more frequent such occurrences
become the more frequent are the crimes which they
punish by such ghastly vengeance Every woman in
the South should Join her voice those who CIV ON
for the punishment OF criminals by the law That ;s
the only road 10 such safety is enjoyed in the law
abiding sections OF the country
II is hard 10 make ynching communities under
stand that their violence encourages the crimes :, &c
intended 10 punish and prevent. The scoundre yybo
chershes an evil purpose and waits for time N
achieve II is sure 10 away what scrupes thee
may be in his brutal intellect by the constant reaec
ton that everybody who takes part in a lynching s
volator Of law therefore why may not he violate il?
In all criminals there is after all subtle psychological
process which sets up justification TO quiet the con-
science which IS in all men. A mob furnishes the
material Tor Use by the criminal mind and so we have
these appalling ynchings followed by repetition Of
The very crimes they are supposed 10 prevent
The only remedy for violation OF the law is 70 -.
spect the law Where majority of a comr,,,r;,
lives in righteous regard for the law transqress;ons
less. and less heinous than where such naiori,
itself breaks the law in these barbarc ou,brrsts -;
unrestrained passion.