The colored American., 1900-02-17
LYNCHING A
FEDERAL CRIME,
State Laws Powerless 80 Eradi-
cate the Mania for BlOcd that
is DisgraciDg Our Fair Land
. Mr., Whites Ball Endorsed.
BY BISHOP ABRAHAM GRANT.

The question Of lynching has long
been before the American people. 1t
has lost novelty but not force, and the
prolonged agitation has at last begun
to bear fruit In q condemnatOry public
opinion that will ere long crystalize
into both state and national law
Some years ago, Governor James s.
Hogg Of Texas, spoke out manfully
against Iynching, as he does on all ques
tions, and proposed a law for his state
the county in which lynching takes
place, for damages. 1 see that Gov
ernOr Longino OF Mississippi makes a
similar Tecommen dation, adding, how.
ever, to the effectiveness of the prOpo-
sition, by providing that nothing but
proof that the lynching took place in
the county shall be required to secure
damages. Those who know how diff
cut it Is to secure Identification of the
Iynchers Will see the value Of Cover
ntr LOnginO's suggestion.
But public opinion and moral STAN
dards vary so much in the different
states that We cannot expect general
relief from this class of lawlessness by
any state statute The wide spread of
mob violence and the disorganizIng,
disruptIng and anarchical effect 1t has
upon society, give 1t both a nation scope
o. N ri iTy1 nOrtoD "a NJ hioh osn nnIxy ka m at
by a national enactment such as Con.
gresham George II. White, Of North
Carolina, has just introduced in the
| House of Representatives. While /
have not read the text Of his tIll, am
sufficiently acquainted with its general
provisions to indOrse 1t. 1t makes
lynching treason to the United States
and places jurisdiction, in consequence
in the United States.
Lynching Is q mania as truly as was
the old witchcrsft evils..of our early his
tory, and each case is q manifestation
OF local fury which units the commu-
nifty in which it occurs to try the per-
petratOrs: to say nothing OF the sympa
thy that the Judge, elected by the men
y Who have done the lynching, ,is likely tC
have for persons indicted for the offence
when brought before him. National
jurisdiction largely cures all this.
Americans will not much longer In
dorse the edium of such barbarous
practices; especially when IN England
and in her colo lies, such as Sierra LIE
one, Barbados, Bermuda, and India,
where there is a large mixed popuIa-
tiOn, both lynchings and the crimes
most frequently leading to them art
rarely known. There the majesty Ct
the law is upheld, and this respect TO,
orderly procedure, in the punishment
of crime is what makes Great Britain
the best ruler OF alien and opposite
peoples in the world. So it should b,
with US, and it is more imperative
this era Of expansion than ever before
In the Eastern, Northern and Westerj
sections Of our own country mob vio
lence in punishment of crime is rart
No state ought to feel that its reserve q
or expressed rights Will be trenched
upon by national law which compels
respect for law and order which the
states themselves are powerless to bring
about, especially when it involves the
national question of life, liberty and
the Dursuit of h8nniness,J for the naffCn