Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-08-12

ceeding therefrom. II is, of course.
inevitable that where vengeance Is;
taken by mob IL should frequently
light on innocent people, and wrjlg
done in such a case TO an individual
is one for which there is no remedy.
But even where the real criminal is
reached, wrong done by a mob TO the
community itself is well nigh as
great. Especially is this true where
the lynching is accompanied with tor
ture. There are certain piteous sights
which when once seen can never be
wholly erased from the mental retina.
The mere fact of having seen them
implies degradation. This is a thous-
andfold stronger when. instead of
merely seeing the deed. the man has
participated in II. Whoever. in any
part of our country. has ever taken
part in lawlessly putting to death a
criminal by the dreadful torture of
fire must forever after nave the awful
spectacle of his own handiwork scar
ed into his brain and soul. He can
never again be the same man. This
matter of lynching would be a ter
rible thing even, If It stopped with
the lynching of men guilty of the in
human and hideous crime of rape,
but as matter of fact lawlessness
of this type never does stop. and nev-
er can stop in such fashion. Every
violent man in the community is en-
couraged by every news of lynching
in which the lynchers go unpunished,
to take the law into his own hands
whenever it suits his own conven-
.ience. In the same way the use of
torture in certain cases is sure to
spread until it is practiced more or
less Unfortunately In other cases.
The spirit of lawlessness grows with
what it feeds on, and when mobs with
impunity lynch criminals for one
cause they are certain TO begin to
lynch real or alleged criminals for
other causes. In recent cases of lynch
ing over three-fourths were not for
rape at all, but for murder attempted
murder and even less heinous Often
ses. Moreover. history of these re-
cent cases shows the fact that when
the minds of men are nabituated to
the use of torture by lawless bodies
to avenge crimes of peculiarly revolt
ing description. other lawless bodies
will use torture in orGer to punish
crimes of ordinary type.
Surely no patriot can fail to see
the fearful brutalization and debase-
ment which the indulgence of such
a practice usually portends. Surely
all patriotic men, all writers for the
daily press, all clergymen, all teach
ers, all who in any way have the right
to address the public should with
every energy unite to denounce such
crimes and to support those engagec
in pulling them down. AS people
we proclaim the right to speak with
peculiar emphasis for freedom and for
fair treatment for all men without re-
gard to difference of race, fortune,
creed or color. We forfeit the right
so to speak when we commit or con-
done such crimes as these of which
speak. A nation, like an individual,
can not commit crime with impunity.
If we are guilty of lawlessness or
brutal violence, whether the guilt con-
sists in active participation therein or
in mere connivance and encourage
ment, we shall assuredly suffer later
on because of what we have done.
The corner stone of this republic. as
of all free government. is respect for
and obedience to law. Where We per-
nit the law to be defied or evaded.
whether by rich man or poor man,
by black or white. we are by just so
much weakening the bonds of our CIV
ilization and increasing the chances
of its overthrow. and of the substitu-
tion therefor of system in which
there shall be violent attractions to
anarchy and tyranny. Sincerely yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
ITO Hon. Winfield T. Durbin. Gov
ernor of Indiana, Indianapolis, Ind. u