The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1900-01-20

charters recently obtained for the Incorporation
OF new cotton mills and other manufacturing
enterprises In the State, 1t is to be concluded
that Mississippi has today the most hopeful ln-
dustrial outlook In her history. She has been
in the past the great Southern pioneer Of pollt-
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-
tlonal scheme
Liberality 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, 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
1t 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
l confidently hope. therefore, that no mere SEN
tlmental or prejudlcal opposition to railroads
or other corporate enterprises will md favor
with the legislature, so that capital hunting In
vestment will find no just cause to pass Missis-
spp and go to other States Offering wiser
legitimate Inducements.
Suppression of MObs.
But 1t may be well to consider In this connec-
tion that though Mississippi possesses Just such
advantages OF climate. soil and undeveloped
raw material as should prove the greatest
tempter to the immigrant hunting home and
the capitalist looking for profitable investment
for his money, that both will be slow to go
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
equaled advantages 1t offers capital by way OF
profit in manufacturing, yet. mark my prophecy,
the State can never attain that magnificent de-
gree OF prosperity and grandeur OF statehood
that OF right should be hers, so long as public
opinion permits the high handed mobs to treat
the law with contempt, defy the courts and
officers and murder the people without prose-
cutlon or punishment 1t must be admitted
that the bloody work OF the mob Is not of infre-
quent occurrence In the State. Though this Is a
painful fact to admit, and one which for reasons
of political policy 1t might be best left unsaid,
| yet it Is fact about which, for the public good,
| every law-abiding citizen should be bold to
| speak in condemnation. The constitution OF the
State says "The governor shall see that the
laws are faithfully executed" But experience
/ In all republics shows that 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
| ng first found federation, and then Justification
| N the State In sublime respect for the virtue
| and honor OF our white women, and true to the
| rule in this as in all other cases where public
opinion either condones or approves the dlsre-
| gard Of the law, Incentive to other acts OF law
essness, and so on ad ininitum. AS a common
sequence, therefore, lynching today in the State
Is visited upon the suspect not only Of rape, but
OF homicide, house burning, and even lesser
accusations and offenses; and vet the moblst,
though in many instances acting without mask
or disguise, has, with but few exceptions. gone
| his way without punishment or even indlct-
ment so far as the public has been advised. l
apprehend the mob spirit Is no greater In Mis-
| slsSlppi than In other States where similar race
intolerance exists, and yet, We are forced to ad-
nit, 1t Is on the increase here, which fact may
well be taken as proof most true that there
| exists either a morbid increase of lawlessness
against which mob penalty as u 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
acts which the law does not regard so highly
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 juries from the
intelligent and taxpaying men in each COM
munty, as may be done in every case under the
very wise provisions OF the present jury system,
there remains no justihable reason why those
who are guilty Of crime, great or small, should
not be properly punished by tho 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 demoralizing, brutalizing
and ruinous species of lawlessness known to
any brave and free people.
| The Remedy.
| The fault lies in defective or inactive 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 penalties
for crime; the judges have done their full duty
| for the suppression Of mobs while appeals to
public opinion In this behalf have been made by
at least three of the religious denominations Of
the State and likewise by the press as a
| u,,Ia l,,N ka., F,it- N..4.s.
beneficial results in that regard Since,
then, moral persuasion fails to sufficiently
arouse the people to the danger and enormity
Of the evil which is yearly growing. and
resort seems necessary TO some stringent
gent legal method to arouse and move public
| opinion to more vigorous assertion OF its in
| ftuence In the premises, l would, therefore,
recommend to the legislature the wisdom and
eXpedlency Of passing law giving TO the family
of any one who may be hereafter lynched, a
right to recover in the chancery court, fixed
sum In damages against the county wherein the
| lynching occurred. Let the amount of said
damages be made sufficiently large to engage
public opposition to the payment thereof, and
let the right OF recovery be predicated alone upon
the fact that the lynching 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 custody of the officers without resf>S-
ance and lynched. l commend to the further
serious consideration of the legislature the ex-
pedlency OF providing by law that the office OF
sheriff or constable shall become vacant, ipso
facto, whenever any prisoner is taken from the
jail or the lawful custody Of such officer or his
deputy and lynched. In my Judgment the time
and occasion are here for some such stringent
measure, and it is to be hoped the legislature
will prove itself equal thereto.
| State Farm.
Mississippi has for a number Of years en-
ployed her convicts in farming from which
source she has received annually large net in