The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1901-02-02
COMMENTS FROM THE coMmoSER.
Some Of the Bright Things In Bryan,
Paper.

fbper.
Since the redemption" OF Kansas
1t appears that fire is being used to
cauterize some of the bleeding Wounds
OF fifty years ago.
The latest reports from Manila are to
the effect that General Veracity has
not yet assumed command.
The wise man who declared that oil
and water would not mix could, by
returning to earth and visiting Ohio.
gain some valuable information on that
point.
The men most interested In the
enactment OF a shipping bounty law
can M make even the argument that
they need the money.
The Editor OF Burke's Peerage.
London, says that he receives more
inquiries about questions OF precedence
from the United Stats than he does
from England. This is significant
because it reveals a tendency toward
the forms and hummeries of a~ristocracy.
which is not only surprising but alarm
ing. And yet how can we expect to
have imperialism and plutocracy with
out the ceremony OF the court. When
once we leave the broad foundation of
political equality, we become involved
in a ne~ver-ending controversy over
relative rank and comparative i'm
porta nee.
The burning OF another negro, this
time In Kansas, again calls attention
to the tendency to return to the
cruelties and torture of former times.
When a similar incident occurred a
few weeks ago In Colorado, republican
papers were quick to connect the
occurrence with a fusion majority 10 the
state. II retaliation were proper,
democratic papers might refer to the
republican majority rolled up 10
Kansas last November, but the subject
Is too serious to be made a theme for
partisan controversy. Such atrocities
are inexcusable, no matter when or
where they are practiced, Lynch law
must be condemned on general prin-
ciples because it temporarily ~suspends
government and its enforcement amid
excitement and without u careful
investigation Of the evidence ofteu
leads To the doing Of great injustice.
The fact that good people, aroused 10
frenzy by a horrible crime, sometimes
take the law into their own hands, is
not Il justification, but simply shows
that strong feeling will occasionally
over-mas,er the reason OF the best OF
men. Before lynching can be defended
some tribunal must be authorized to
decide when, under What circum-
stances and upon what evidence
individual revenge should be substi-
tuted for the ordinary methods of
administering justice. But even If
lynching could be defended the addition
Of torture is ~inexcusable. 1t is an
Indulgence Of passion, more huriful
to those who are guilty Of it than TO
their victim. Instead Of lessening
crime, burning is apt to increase 1t by
accustoming the people TO cruelty and
by lessening their respect for human
life. Even those who ia Kansas and
elsewhere have joined In the mad cry
for blood and exulted In the agonies OF
a human being will, in calm and
dispassionate moments, condemn the
act and deplore the weakness which
temporarily copdoned it.
An unalswerable argument against
such d form OF punishment is to be
found in the fact that no legislative
body 10 Christendom would deliberately
provide for burning as II penalty for
apv crime.