The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-07-30

We are a little surprised, but nc
less gratifed at the anti-lynching in
terview given out by Gov: Aycock a
few days ago. He said:
"There is an association at Seattle,
in the State of Washington, organ.
lied to prevent lYnchings, and for
each and every person engaged in a
lynching it offers $500 reward. 1t
notifies me that it has offered that
reward for each and every person
engaged in the lynching this year at
LAGRANGE and Smithfeld and has
put up the money. I do not care for
outside aid in securing law and order
in North Carolina, but hereafter no
matter what the crime may be, I
will offer $500 reward, which is the
limit under the law, for each and
every participant. I recognize that
there is a crime for which the pun
ishment is certain death, but Grim
inals must be hanged by the law and
not by the mob. Lynching has got
to stop in this State. l ask you to
call on the press and the preachers
to stop the tendency towards lynch
law. It is a great blot on the State"
This is, so far as we are informed,
a little in advance of any anti-lynch-
ing action heretofore taken in the
Socth. We do not think that it will
increase the Governors popularity !;
but as a protest against lawlessness,
courageous even if unwise or inefeo
tive, it deserves commentator.
Every thoughtful citizen should re
echo the sentiment, "Criminals must
be hanged by the law and not by the
mob" Mob law, lynch law, strikes
at the very foundation of our civil
~zation, whereby each citizen surren-
ders to the government the right to
fix penalties and punish criminals !;
this is that which distinguishes civ
ilization from that savage anarchy
in which private vengeance is
allowed to take it's wretched course.
We do not oppose lynohings because
of the fact that they visit speedy
punishment upon men guilty of cap
ital crimes we wish that our law
provided for a much speedier trial
and punishment of such persons. 1t
is not for the criminal that we plead,
but for the public. 1t is better that
the criminal live out the month or
so of wretched existence while the
law takes it's course than that ten
justify themselves in taking the
law into their WI hands and visit
ing death upon a man whom our
civilization says should be deprived
of life only by the law of the land.
We hope that the reader now gets
our point of view: That it is not
the criminal but the public that suf-
fers most as a result of lynchings.
Our laws are strictly enforced and
it is practically impossible for the
to escape the penalty fixed
statute. But the public suffers,
because lynchings destroy thatrever-
ence of law without which neither
government nor civilization can en-.
dure.
The Governors cure may do good
at any rate, he deserves credit for
his courage in proposing it. But an
ancient proverb teaches that proven
ton is far better than cure, the ratio
being the familiar 16 to 1 ; that is to
say, an ounce of prevention is worth
ounces of cure. Hence, we repeat
our opinion, heretofore expressed,
that the best way to prevent lynch
is to provide for the speediest
possible legal trial of persons &C.
2used of capital crime, allowing none
Of the dilatory tactics, to which law
gers now SO often resort in order to
1elay the punishment Of the guilty
DR.. TAFT BUTLER, STATE VETERINARIAN
AND PROFESSOR OF ANIMAL
INDUSTRY.