Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1900-01-19

the mob Spirit is no greater In Misnis-
sipi than In other states where sihii-
lar race intolerance exists, and yet,
We are forced 10 admit it Is on the in
crease here, which fact may well be
taken as proof most true that there
is either a morbid increase Of lawless-
ness against which mob penalty as a
corrective has utterly failed, or that
there Is growth Of iptoleranco among
the white people against the negroes,
(who are the most usual victims of
the mob), inspiring rash and basty
vengeance for acts which the law does
not regard 60 highly penal as to merit
punishment by death. The law in its
amplitude provides proper and COM
mensurate punishment for al manner
of crime. 1t however imposes The
death penalty alone on those guilty of
murder, arson and rape, and under
our present judicial system with hon
est, able and courageous judges on
tho bench, with states attorneys
learned in the law and faithful In its
maipte tenance, and with juries taken
from the intelligent aud tax paying
men in each community as may be
done in every case under the very
wise provisions OF the present jury
system, there remains no Justifiable
reason why those who are guilty Of
crime, great or small, should not be
properly punished by the courts of the
country. l go further and confidently
predict that such would be done II
the people properly appreciated the
sacred importance Of maintaining the
law and the supremacy Of the ruuI ts.
The honor OF Mississippi and the good
name OF her Christian civilization de-
mands this, and the suppression Of
mob violence, which, in my Judgment,
is the most demoralizinR, brutalizing
and ruinoUs species OF awlessness
known to any brave and free people.
THE REMEDY.
The fault lies in defective or inac-
five public sentiment on the subject,
and hence the remedy must come from
the people. The law has all the while
been ample and rigorous In its penal
ties for crime; the judges have done
their full duty for the supp ossion OF
mobs, while appeals to public opinion
in this behalf have been nIade by at
least three of the great religious de-
nominations OF the state, and likewise
by the press as rule; but all have
failed TO bring apparent beneficial re-
suits in that regard. Since then moral
persuasion fails to sufficiently arones
the people to the danger and enormity
OF the evil which is yearly growing,
re sort seems necessary to some tiing
ent legal method to arouse and move
public opinion to more vigorous asser
tion OF its influence in the premises,
would therefore recon mend to the leg
isIature the wisdom and expediency Of
pnssing law giving to the family Of
any one who may be hereafter lynched,
a right to recover in the chaucery
court, fixed sun in damages against
the county, wherein the lynchipg oc-
Cured. Let the amount of said dam-
ages be made sufficiently large to en-
gage public opposition to the payment
thereof, and let the right of recovery
be predicated alone upon the fact that
the lynchiug was done in the county
where the recovery is sought 1t is
not unusual that prisoners are taken
by mobs from Jail and from the custo.
dy of the officers without resistance
and lyncbed. l commend to the
further serious consideration of the
ing by law that the Office OF sheriff, or
constable shall become vacant iEso
facto, whenever any prisoner is taken
from the jail or lawful custody of
such officer or his deputy and lynched
In my judgment the time and occasion
are here for some such stringent meas
ure, and it is to be hoped the legisla-
ture will prove itself equal thereto.
STATE FARM.
Mississippi has for number OF
saars employed her convicts in farm
ing them, from which source she hes
received annually large net incomes Of
money. By the employment also of
her own agents to control them ard to
direct their labor she has been able
to protect the prisoners from undue
severity nf treatment, and In both in
stances has proven the wisdom of the
farming system. The state now owns
several farms giving employment tn
an inconsiderable number Of her con
vic.s, but most of them. by far, are
worked on lands belonging to indi-
viduaIs, which have either been rented
by the board of control or worked on
shares, with profit both to the owners
OF the lands and to the state. The
board Of control, with Governor Me-
Laurin rs its president, in Its report
tn the present legislature recommened
by unanimous vote, as | am advised.
tho purchase by the state tract Of
wild lands to be gradually cleared by
convicts in the Yazoo- mississippi
Delta OF sufficient acreage to enable
the state ultimately to give employ
men to all prisoners, without the me-
cessity OF renting.
beg to cotnmend this matter also
to the careful consideration OF the
Legislature.
PUBLIC ROADS.
There is no public utility in Missis-
ippi Offering benefits to more of her
people than good country roads. And
though it is fact, which all will ad.
NIT on reflection, that a large part OF
the farmcrs' profit on their crops is
lost on account OF wear and tear to
" vagons and teams and loss Of time be-
cause of bad roads; yet strange as it
is, the subject seelns to engage only
the casual attention Of the legislature
and people. Liability to Indictment
is about tue only incentive TO road
oyerseers To hoep the highways to