The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-28
THE BAKER COUNTY LYNoHING.

THE BAKER COUNTY LTNCHISG.
In our dispatch yesterday in which
| an account is given OF the lynehing Of
three negroes in Baker county early
| on Friday morning il is stated that
! the crime IS greatly deplored by most
| Of the people Of that county. Assum-
| ing that this statement is correct, it
follows that only a small minority OF
the citizens approve the lynching.
Il is gratifying 10 know that
| this is the case. II hasn't been so very
/ long since there were very few lynch
ings Of negroes in the South except for
| assaults upon white women. Now
lynchings for the killing OF white men
are getting 10 be quite common. The
question which presents itself in this
/ connection is, TO what limit viii the
mob go in lynching alleged law-break-
ers unless checked? II is evident that
unless the strong arm Of the law in
terpOses the mob VIII undertake 10
administer what it considers justice to
many other offenders than those &C
cuzed of assaulting women.
There does not seem 10 be any doubt
that the negroes who were lynched
in Baker county were guilty of kill
ing Mr.. Billiard. a farmer who under
took TO put a stop TO disturbance
among negroes on his place. And the
fact that he left q helpless family no
doubt aroused a great deal Of feeling
against the negroes who killed him,
but the law ought 10 have been per-
mitted TO take its course. II mob
can with impunity take the law into
its own hands whenever it feels like
doing so. 1t will not be long before.
in many parts of the state, there will
be established a tyranny of such an
intolerable character that peace-loving
and law-abiding citizens will seek
homes elsewhere.
The danger in these lynchings for
all sorts of crimes is that the num-
Der Of lynchings will steadily increase.
and will claim victims guilty Of no
offense. but who have in some way OBJ
tanned the ill-will Of persons wicked
enough to arouse the mob spirit
against them.
We have not been advised as 10 the
course the authorities of Baker county
intend to pursue in regard TO the trag-
edy that occurred there on last Fri
day morning, but it is quite certain
that if something isn't done to make
the mob understand that mob VIC
lence will not be tolerated, there will
be more Iynchings in the county. and
some of them may not be confined to
negroes.
A writer in the New York Evening
| Post makes the point that the steady
| Increase in the number OF lynchings,
| both in the North and the South,
means that the people are demanding
a change in the statutory law to meet
existing conditions. There has, he
says, been an insidious and abnormal
increase in crime, and that if lynch
ings are to cease something must be
done to stamp it out.
There may be something in this
view, but what is it that it is pro-
posed shall be done? AS a general
thing the leaders of the lynchers are
! not LnOSe GlLlZenH WHO ledQ pubic
sentiment. The laws against crimes
which are the cause of lynchings are
now as severe as they can be made,
and in most parts of the country are
enforced with a reasonable degree of
promptness. It may be that in some
cases there is a failure of justice be-
cause of delays IN bringing offenders
to trial. but II is doubtful IL such de-
| lays are at the bottom of the lynch
ings. The writer of the article in the
| Post does not point out what read
| justment of the statutory law is need
ed. The fact that most of the lynch
ings are brutal and barbarous in
character seem to indicate desire
for vengeance rather than a purpose
tu have punishment. such as the law
prescribes, melted out to the wrong
doors.