Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1900-01-20


of new cotton mills and other manufacturing
enterprises In the State, it is to be concluded
that Mississippi has today the most hopeful in
duSrial outlook in her history. She has been
in the past the great Southern pioneer of pOit-
ical and social reforms, and now let her be
among the first of the States in the South to test
and prove the wisdom of this industrial educa-
tional scheme.
Libcraiity to Capital Seeking Investment.
1t Is perhaps meet to say here that now when
the tidal wave OF new industrial development
seems TO have struck the State and capital is
hunting investment here, a liberal and just leg
iSlatlye policy should be pursued toward all
kinds of corporations and corporate interests.
II should be remembered that no country ever
became truly prosperous or great where be-
coming regard was not shown for the equal
rights of both labor and capital by the laws, the
courts, and the people. Experience has shown
it to be wise policy to extend liberal franchises
and privileges to such corporate enterprises as
offer mutual benefits to labor and the public
generally, as well as to the money they employ,
| conf lently hope, therefore, that no mere SEN
tmental or prejudicial opposition to railroads
or other corporate enterprises Will find favor
with the legislature so that capital hunting In
yestmcnl Will find no just cause to pass Mlsss-
sippi and 60 to other States Offering wiser
legitimate Inducements.
Suppression of MODS.
But 1t may be well to consider in this connec-
tion that though Mississippi possesses Just such
| advantages OF climate, soil and undeyelopei
raw material as should prove the greatest
temper to the immigrant hunting home and
the capitalist looking for profitable investment
/ for his money that both will be slow to 60
| where life and property are not Sacredly re-
spected by the people and protected by the
courts and the law. Though 1t is true that the
/ State is attracting attention because OF the I'M
cqualcd advantages it offers capital by way Of
profit in manufacturing yet, mark my prophecy
! the State can never attain that magnificent de-
gree OF prosp rity and grandeur OF statehood
| that OF right ShOdN be hers, so long as public
opinion permits The htgh-hanled m0bs to treat
the law with contempt, defy the courts and
officers, and murder the people without prose-
cutIon or punishment. 1t must be admitted
that the bloody work of the mob is not OF infre-
QuCnt occurrence III the State Though this is a
painful fact 10 admit, and one which for reasons
of political policy 1t might be best lett unsald,
yet 1t is a fact about which, for the public good
every law-abdng citizen should be bold to
speak in condemnation. I lie constitution OF the
Stale says THE governor shall see that the
laws are faithfully cXeCu ed" But experience
in all republics shows thtt the officers alone,
however faithful in their efforts to uphold the
majesty of the law, must fail Of the full meas
| ure OF success unless aided and sustained by a
courageous public opinion. hail, then, this
opportunity as suspicious for an appeal to the
legislature and people to stand by the in
coming administration in the enforcement of
| the law and The suppression of mobs. Lynch
NJ first found tOleration and then justification,
II the State in sublime resp ct for the virtue
| and honor uf our white women, and true to the
rule In this as in all other cases where public
opinion either condOneS or approves the dSTe-
gard Of the law, incentive TO other acts of law
lcsSneSs, and 50 on al innaitum AS a common
sequence, therefore, lynching today in the State
is visited upon the suspect not Only Of rape, but
OF homicide, hOuS3 burning, and even lesser
accusations and ol'uSes; and vet the mObjSt,
though in many instances acting without mask
or disguise, has, with but few exceptions, gone
his way without punishment or even indct-
ment so far as the public has been advised |
apprehenl The mob spirit is no greater in Mis-
S,sSippl than In other States where similar race
Intolerance exists, and yet we are forced TO ad-
init, il is on the increase here, which fact may
we'll be taken as proof most true that there
exists either morbid increase Of laWlessness,
against which mob penalty as corrective has
utterly failed, or that there is a growth of in.
tolerance among the white people against the
negro (who is the most usual victim OF the
mob) inspiring rash and hasty vengeance for
grt ~ IA In Z, frJI T.,
penal as to merit punishment by death The
law in its amplitude provides proper and com
mensurate punishment for all manner of crime
1t however imposes the death penalty alone on
those guilty OF murder, arson or rape, and I'M
der our present judicial system, with honest,
able and courageous Judges on the bench with
states attorneys learned in the law and faithful
in its maintenance, and with jures from the
intelligent and taXpaying men in each com
munty, as may be done in every case under tho
very wise provisions OF the present Jury system
there remains no iustihable reason why those
who are guilty of crime great or small should
not be properly punished by the courts of the
country. go further and confidently predict
that such would be done ii the people properly
appreciated the sacred Importance OF maintain
ing the Law and the supremacy OF the courts
The honor of Mississippi and the good name Of
her Christian civilization demand this, and The
suppression of mob violence, which, in my
judgment, is the most demorali2ing, brutalizing
and rulnOus species Of iawleSsness known tC
any brave and free people.
The Remedy.
The fault lies in defective or inactive publ,
sentiment on the subject, and hence the remedy
must come from the people The law has al
the while been ample and rigorous in its penalte,
for crime; the judges have done their full dut,
for the suppression of mobS, while appeals t.
public opinion In this behalf have been made b,
at least three of the religious denominations OF
the State, and likewise by the press as
rule; but all have failed to bring apparent
beneficial results in that regard Since
then, moral persuasion fails 10 sufficiently
arouse the people to the danger and enormty
of the evil which is yearly growing anl
resort seems necessary TO some slringen
gent legal method 20 arouse and move publit
opinion to more vigorous assertion of its in
iucnce in the premises, | would, therefore
recommend to the lie Ilslature the wisdom ant
cxpcdiency OF passing law giving TO the famil,
OF any one who may be hereafter lynched,
right to recover in the chancery court, a hxe,
euIu III N"lhdsC' against Tue county wherein I'M
lynching occurred. Let the amount of sal,
damages be made sufficiently large to engage
public opposition to the payment thereof, ant
let the right OF recovery be predlcated alone upoi
the fac; that the ynchlngwas done in the count,
where the recovery is sought. 1t snot unusua
that prisoners are taken by mobs from lail an,
from the custody OF the officers without rests
ance and lynched, ! commend to the furthe
serious consideration of the legislature the ex
} pediency of providing by law that the Office o
sheriff or constable shall become vacant, ips,
facto, whenever any prisoner is taken from TIN
jail or the lawful custody Of such officer or hi
deputy and lynched, In my Judgment the tim
and occasion are here for some such stringen
measure, and 1t is to be hoped the legislator,
will prove Itself equal thereto
state Farm.
Mississippi has for a number of years EN-
ploycd her conYctS In farming, from whicl
source she has received annually large net in
comes of money. BY the employment also o
her own agents to control them and to direct thel
labor she has been able to protect her prisoners
from undue severity OF treatment, and In bot
instances has proven the wisdom of the farmInt
H system Tie State now owns several lar II
giving employment to an inconsilerable numbr
of her conylcts, but most of them, by far, ar
worked on lands belonging individuals, whicl
have either been rented by the board Of eontro
, or worked on shares, with profit both to tn
owners of said lands and to the State III
board of control, with Gov. MrLaurln rs it
president, ia s report to the present legislator