The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-07
BURNING AT THE STAKE.

frOm the Memphl5 News.
 The burning of a human being marks the extreme of human cruelty. It is the most awful form in which death can be visited upon a living creature. It has never been inflicted except for the most fearful crimes in the darkest ages of the world, or by the most f1endish of savage tribes When, therefore, American mobs the limit of human torture. When they inflict this horrible penalty upon the ob- ject of their wrath, they have reached can look upon 1t witout shudder of hor- TOT, they have calloused their hearts until nothing is so revolting as to harrow their sensibilities; and when they have reached the stage there can be no room except for violence and anarchy. What hope can there be for good citizenship or civilization itself when whole communi- ty shall become brutalized by familiarity with such hideous torture? Such fam iliarity would be far worse on the com munity than the crimes which bring about the burnings. These facts are now being vividly brought home to thinking men. They are asking solemnly where the fury and ferocity of the mob is to end, and what means can be devised for putting limitations upon it. It is confined to no particular section of the country, but it is more frequent In the south, because of obvious conditions.
 In this section lynching begin with an occasional execution of negro for out raging a white woman. It was deplored in sorrow by the more thoughtful citi- zens, but excited no violent alarm, be, cause it was not expected that it would extend further or be of more violent nature. It was thought that it might prevent the crime of rape to a-large extent and lead to swifter and more cer- tain. enforcement of the law. As time has gone on. however. all these assumptions have proved incorrect Instead of pre- venting the assaults of negro fiends, lynch law seems to have had the opposite effect. Instead of being confined to the crime of rape. 1t has extended to murder, arson and all manner of minor crimes and mis- demeanors: instead of being confined to negroes, whites are also made to suffer its penalties; instead of being content to shoot or hang his victims, Judge Lynch now insists on burning them at the stake. Up to this time burning has been inflicted on blacks only, for rape and murder only, but like the lions whelp which has once had a taste of blood, 1t will not be long before mobs will clamor for the incineration of everything down to chicken thieves, and for white as well as negroes. Indeed, when the mob has reached such a state of infuriated aban- don that it can contemplate burning with out a shudder, it is in fit mood to commit any one to the flames for any sort of offense.
 Such an orgie of diabolism is not to be contemplated without the most ominous forebodings It is time that the intelli- gent, God-fearing people in every com munity subjected to such hideous pos abilities get together to devise ways and means to arrest the mob spirit before 1t takes further hold upon the thoughtless and lawless elements of the population. The first step in this direction is to en- act laws that will force the courts to act promptly and efficiently. so as to leave no reasonable excuse for mob law. In the second place, it should be resolved by the best elements in every community that under no circtimstahces should burn ing be allowed. This can be stopped by