The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-08-28

mlN NNLOOlA, lHO OhODAY, "A
such as willful murder or the violation
OF the person of a female, and that
such crimes are considered in the COM
munity where they'are perpetrated to
be the most monstrous crimes imagi-
nable, and that therefore it is justifiable
to deprive the person accused Of such
crimes of his life, or subject him to
torture, without due process of law:
then it follows that in other communi-
ties, where horse stealing, or dog steal
ing, or cat stealing, or profane swear
ing, or drunkenness, are looked upon
as the greatest crimes imaginable, it
would be justifiabie likewise to deprive
the person accused cf any of the above
named crimes of his life without due
process of law. Thus the best citizen
of South Carolina who believes in lynch
ing black man, or man accused of
murder or rape, would have no just
grounds for complaint if he were to
receive word that his son had been
lynched in Indiana because somebody
accused him of horse stealing; and the
respectable citizen of Indiana who be-
lieves in lynchihg suspected horse
thieves should make no outcry when
Informed that his son had been lynched
in Boston on the accusation OF an old
maid of having stolen her pet cat.
1t seems probable that lynch law was
first adopted by people thinly scat
tered over a large territory, on account
OF its expediency. But like many 9TH
er evils which at first are resorted to
only because they are expedient, but
in time become habits which we find
it hard to break away from, so lynch
law has from matter of expediency
grown into habit, and from present
indications it would seem that we are
not even trying to shake it off. We
should take warning from this. AS
individuals or as.a nation, we have no
right to adopt measures merely be-
cause they are expedient. "Expediency"
has ever been the watchword of cow
ards. TLemistocles the Athenian,
who conceived the idea of stealing the
Spartan's fleet, because from the
Athenian point of view it would be
expedient, was morally a coward
And the so-called statesmen of this or
any country who are continually ad-
vocating measures because they are
expedient, and who lack. the moral
courage to tear down this Chinese wall,
Expediency, and gaze upon the beauti-
full realms of Justice which lie beyond,
are but followers of the unscrupulous
Athenian.
The soul of every true lover of his
country is filed with disgust when the
newspapers inform him how another
victim of Judge Lynch has been tor
tured to death. The blush of shame
spreads over the countenance of the
right-minded patriot when he hears of
fresh case of mob rule triumphing
over law and order. We are told every
day by men who ought to know better
that we are the greatest nation under
the sun. If we could but realize that
true national greatness is not indicated
"by expansion of trade and wealth, of
invention of new machinery, and of
discoveries of new resources of the
earth" or by the acquisition of new
territories, the planting of our flag on
the isles of the SEA, but is compatible
only with moral progress, the love of
truth for truths sake, the doing of
right for rights sake-what a truly
great and happy nation we might be-
come in time! But as long as we toll
crate lynch law. or mob rule in any
form, or deny to the meanest individual
the protection of the law, it is absurd
to lay claim to national greatness To
become truly great we must learn to
subdue our passions, to respect the
laws which ourselves through our rep
resentatives have made, to concede to
others, without distinction, the rights
and privileges which we demand for
ourselves; and we must ever bear in
mind that "a high intellectual develop
ment, without corresponding growth
OF morality, is q curse to mankind"
81. S., JR.