The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-09-08
LYNCHINGs ARE DANGEROUS.

LYNCHINGS ARE DANGEROUS.
Rockingham Anglo-Saxon.
Lynchings of the Mcfarland type are
not crimes, but we are very strongly of
the opinion that all lynchings are mis-
takes. We never heard but one argu-
ment in favor of lynchings that appeal
ed to us with any seriousness, and that
is to save the woman the shame of tell
ing of her shame. This can at least be
mitigated by judges of feeling who
should not and who would not allow
such stories to be told in the presence
of the multitude, but only in the pres
ence of the necessary officers of the
court.
! Those who profess to be unwilling to
trust the courts do but advertise their
| unwillingness to trust themselves in
their own sober moments. The court
is but the mob restored to it's reason and
surrounded by the precedents and safe
guards which the wisdom and experience
of the centuries have proven necessary
to the liberty of the citizen and the
protection of society.
The men who passed anc executed
sentence upon Luke Hough at McFar-
land last week are the men who would
have sat in the jury box, surrounded by
the solemnities attending the trial of an
issue of life and death, under the sane
j ton of an oath, and made up the YER
dict, if the case had been left for set
Element to the court of the country
The solicitor who would have prose-
cuted him is man from among them.
The judge who would have presided, and
the executive who would have heard the
last appeal, are all men of like passions.
IF any of the officers fail in the per-
Torrance of their duty their conduct
passes finally in review before these
people who organized themselves into
lynching party for their approval or
disapproval
On the other hand there are many ar
guments against lynchings which are
sound. Every lynching is lesson and
some of them feast in brutality. No
human life should be taken in revenge,
or even in retaliation The taking of
human life cannot be excused on any
ground less than the protection of society
-sclf-defense. If any man doubts the
lsoundness of this proposition let him fol-
low the trial Of any criminal, however
depraved through the courts, hear the
jury bring in the verdict Of guilty, and
when in the stiffness of the court room
he is commanded to stand up and receive
the death sentence, if he does not feel in
his heart sentiment differing from re-
venge he is indeed hard of heart.
Lynchings are dangerous because a
mob is incapable of fairly inquiring in
to the guilt of it's prisoner, and we verify
believe that they have swung up many
innocent men. And when this is so the
real criminal is never caught. The mob
is afraid OF further investigation for
fear it will be demonstrated that they
have hung an innocent man.
Lynchings lessen the respect for law
and order-thc very foundation of So
ciety.
We are glad that our great Governor
is exerting himself to strengthen the
sentiment against lynchings. Unless
something is done in this direction the
habit will grow upon the people. We
hope. however, that he will not take any
active steps to punish our Arson county
neighbors The recent lynching over
there was the most justifiabe lynching
we remember to have heard of in the
State, and it was carried out by the
good people of a whole community in
the day time as orderly as mob could.