The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-13


1t is evident that until there is a
change in public sentiment horrible
! lynchings like that which took place
In Bryan county on last Saturday night
will continue. We have pointed out
/ time and time again that 1t would be
ever so much better from every point
of view to depend upon the courts rath-
er than upon mob law for the punish
ment of criminals, however terrible
their crimes may be, because it is ap-
parent that lynchings have little or no
effect in preventing that class of crimes
which provoke the people to resort to
mob law.
1t is undoubtedly the desire of every
good citizen to pursue the methods for
checking crime which are the most eff
fective for the protection of society.
The law administered by the courts is
unquestionably the most effective meth
cd. Long experience has proved it to
be so. Therefore citizens should re-
spect it, and do all they can to up
hold it.
1t is but natural of course for the
immediate friends and relatives of a
woman who has been assaulted by a
negro to desire vengeance, TO insist up
on immediate punishment, and that
too, of the most painful character, but
there is no reason why those who do
not have this feeling of vengeance
should encourage lynchings. 1t should
be their endeavor to restrain those who
are under the influence of the desire for
vengeance. A prominent Southern man
was asked recently whether he would
not insist upon lynching a negro who
had assaulted a female member of his
family. He said he would, and he
thought any man who loved his fam
lily would, but he took the position that
his neighbors ought to restrain him
from violence.
This question of lynchings is one in
which society is profoundly interested.
The thinking men of the country see
the danger which is threatened by the
constant disregard of the law. And 1T
must be remembered that lynchings
are not confined to any state or sec
ton of the country. A lynching is just
York as in Georgia or Texas. Indeed,
one of the most horrible of recent
lynchings occurred in Leavenworth,
Kan.
Legislatures and constitutional con-
ventions are trying to find some means
of putting a stop to these summary
punishments by mob law. 1t is evil
dent that unless they are stopped
lynchings will extend to other crimes
than those of murder and rape. Pub
lie sentiment will become so indiffer-
ent about having the law upheld that
it will be an easy matter for any man
to get mob to assist him in taking
summary vengeance upon some one
who has done him an injury. The mob
will usurp the place occupied by the
courts.
No doubt the Supreme Court of this
state was impelled by the lynching
peril which threatens society to say
what it did few weeks ago in COM
mendation of the sheriff of Carroll
county, the sheriff having defended a
negro prisoner against the attack of
mob. one of the mob having been
killed by the sheriff's posse.
All good citizens ought to join in in
sisting that the law shall take it's
course. The court house is the place
for the trial of those charged with
crime, the gallows the place for the ex-
ecution of criminals, not the stake. 1t
is true that it is a painful thing for
the victim of a negro's brutality to
testify in open court of the wrong to
which she has been subjected, but
against this stands the peril with which
society Is threatened. There ought to
be some way provided to lessen the or
deal through which the victim has to
pass in a court house trial. If that
were done perhaps lynch law would
have fewer advocates.
ae~ -
APPLES FOR GEORGIA.
According to an estimate made by