Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-11-22
AN ENEMY oFLAw AND ORDER.

~ WHY ltthhAN bHA AAA44Nl ~ -
terical communication TO the salt Lake
Herald. Fisher Harris attempts TO Jus
tify the mob IN Colorado IN the horrible
crime OF the burning Of the negro Por.
ter, lie also attacks the newspapers Of
this city. because Of their editorials
condemning lawlessness and UNFOLDING
law. As the morning papers have no.
ticed his effuson. perhaps It is as well
FOR the News 20 mention It also. al
though We thought az first Il would not
De necessary to do so, because OF the
absurdiiy OF the position taken by the
writer and the style or his criticism
We we're astonished at reading his
advocacy Of the right OF personal ven
gsanee as against public execution Of
law, Of mohocracy as a substitute for
legal procedure, and Of "the bullet. the
hangmans moose or the stake to be
used b. any aggrieyed individual or
the Infatuated populace against an ac-
cused person, In the place Of a fair trial
by jury before a penalty is executed,
We were somewhat amused and a
little amazed. at the modesty he dis.
played in assuming that he stood as
the type Of sincerity and all the WRIT
ers who denounced the horrible and
lawess act Of the Colorado negro burn
ers, were "hypocrites' who. while pen.
ming "mawkish' and "maudlln senti.
mentality" secretly reioiced' over the
cracking flames around the body" OF
the victim OF the Llmon homicldcs. Al.
so in his assertion that 30 per cent OF
our readers, with the men about us,
regret that they were not there TO add
a brand to the burning"
Who would have thought that the
platform orator, whose set Of pretty
phrases sounded like tlnkling silver
bells when he wooed the verdant voter,
and tickled the ears OF the bucolic
partisan, was really at heart an an
archist and a negro-burner ready to
roast a colored wretch accused OF
crime without waiting for Judge or
Jury! And that his prayers, instead
or being for the success OF his party
to say nothing OF his own aspirations
associated herewith, win ever be-
that assassination may always and
everywhere" rise superior to the de.
mands Of law
II seems that the sweet-yolced Fisher
is as much down" on legislators as ON
editors. While the latter are accused
Of writing "cold-blooded editorials
the former are called "impractIc.
able and Jasmine theorists"
Such choice eplthets are employed
against gentlemen whose only fault is
their advocacy Of the majesty OF the
law, and the denunciation Of ruflanlsm
barbarity and mobocracy.
Fisher Harris assumes that the SUP.
porters OF law and order forget the
tender mutilated and outraged body OF
the sweet little girl, who Tell an limo.
cent and protesting victim" also "the
desolation Of the loving mother. the
terrible despair OF the dotlng father
There he Is greatly mistaken. But
what amelioration OF the awful condi-
lions, Of the sufferings Of the bereaved.
OF the horror evoked by the negros
crime is effected by the preparation OF
another crime? Did the cracking
flames around the body Of the negro
restore the innocent and sweet little
Girl, take one pang from the heart OF
The bereayed mother assuage the grief |
OF the phrensIed father? The lawless
burning Of the guilty wretch added fuel |
to the fire OF crime, and took nothing |
away from the infamy or the horror Of |
the CHASTITY affair
While we advocate swift ana AIDE. |
Quate punishment for such crimes as
those Of which the negro Porter was |
accused. we are opposed TO mob law IN |
any form and on any occasion. And /
We are sorry that any intelligent per.
son IN the calmness OF sober thought.
VIII rush into print as the advocate Of
such dehauces OF law. order. civilized
procedure ana cultured humanity as
the Wild savagery OF the mob at Llmon
az me close Of the enlightened nine.
teenth century