The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-10
DENOUNCES
LYNCHINGS
The President Indites a Letter tt
Gov. Rurbin of Indiana on
the Subject.
Declares That Mob Violence Is
Merely One and Danger
Gus Form of Anarchy.
And Commends the Governor for His
Attitude During Recent Lynch
Riots in Indiana.

Riots in Indiana.
Oyster Bay, n. Y. Aug. 10.-In letter.
the publication of which was authorized,
President Roosevelt commends Governor
Durbin of Indiana for the attitude he as
sumed recently respecting lynch1ng.
The president also embraces the oppor-
tunity to express his own views In refer
ence to lynchirs and mob violence gener-
ally He points out that mob violence
merely Is one form Of anarchy, and that
anarchy is the forcrunner Of tyranny. The
president vigorously urges that the pen
atty for crimes that induce a resort
to lynching shall be applied swiftly and
surely but by due process of the courts,
so that it may be demonstrated that the
law Is adequate to deal with crime by
freeing 1t from every vestige OF technical
ity and delay"
The Letter.
President Roosevelts letter in full to
Governor Durbin follows:
Oyster Bay, n. Y, Aug. 6, 1903.-My
Dear Governor Durbin: Permit me to
thank you, as an American citizen for the
admira BILE way in which you have vindi-
Gated the majesty of the law by your re-
cent action In reference to lynching. I
feel my dear sir. that you have made all
mon your debtors who believe, as all far
seeing mon must, that the well-being,
even the very existence, Of the republic
depends upon that spirit Of orderly liber-
ty under the law which Is as incompati-
bio with mob violence with any form
of despotism OF course, mob violence Is
only one form of anarchy, and anarchy
is now, as 1t has always been, the hand
maiden and forerunner OF tyranny. l feel
that you have not only reflected honor up
on the state which for Its good fortune has
you as It's chief executive, but upon the
whole nation. 1t is incumbent upon every
man thruout this country not only TO hold
up your hands In the course you have
been following but to show his realization
that the mater Is one Of real concern to
us ALL All honorable men must feel the
gravest alarm over the growth Of lynch
ing In this country, especially over the
peculiarly hideous form so often taken
by mob violence when colored men are
the victms-on which occasions the mob
seems to lay most weight not on the crime
but on the color of the criminal.
No Sympathy for Criminal.
"In a certain proportion of these cases
the man lynched has been guilty Of
crime horrible beyond description; a crime
so horrible that so far as he himself Is
concerned he has forfeited the right to
any kind of sympathy whatsoever The
feeling OF all good citizens that such
hideous crime should not be hideously
punished by mob violence Is due not in
the least to sympathy for the criminal,
but to very lively sense Of the train
Of dreadful consequences which follow the
course taken by the mob in exacttng In
human vengeance for fnhuman wrong. In
such cases. moreover, it Is we'll to re-
member that this criminal not merely sins
against humanity in incapable and un-
pardonable fashion. but sins particularly
against his own race, and does them a
wrong far greater than any white man can
possibly do them. Therefore in such cases
the colored people thruout the land should
In every possible way show their belief
that they more than all others in the COM
munity are Mortified at the commission Of
a crime, more peculiarly concerned in
taking every possible measure to prevent
its recurrence and to bring the criminal to
immediate justice. The slightest lack Of
vigor either in denunciation Of the crime
or in bringing the criminal to justice Is
itself objectionable. Moreover every eff
fort should be made under the law to ex-
pedte the proceedings Of justice in the
case Of such an awful crime. But 1t can
not be necessary In order to accomplish
this to deprive any citizen Of those funda-
mental rights to be heard In his own de-
Tense, which are SO dear to us all and
which lie at the root Of our liberty.
Swift Vengeance Possible.
TT certainly ought to be possible, by the
proper admins ira ton Of the laws, to Sc
cure swift vengeance upon the criminals,
and the best and immediate efforts Of all
LEGISLATORS, judges and citizens should be
addressed to securing such reforms in our
legal procedure as to leave no vestige of
excuse for those misguided men who I'M
dertake to reap vengeance thru violent
methods.
Men who have been guilty Of a crime
like rape or murder should be visited with
swift and certain punishment, and the
just effort made by the courts to pro-
tect them In their rights should under no
circums tances be perverted into permit
ting any mere techn1cality to avert or delay
their punishment.
Rights Of the Prisoner.
1.-THE substantial right of the prisoner
to a fair trial must, Of course, be guar
anteed, as you have so justly insisted that
they should be. But, subject to this guar
antee, the law must work swiftly and
surely and all the officers Of the law
should realize the wrong they do wher
they permit justice to be delayed OF
thwarted for insufficient reasons. We
must show that the law is adequate tc
deal with crime by freeing it from every
yestige Of technicality and delay. -
But the fullest recognition of the hor-
ror of the crime and the most complete
lack Of sympathy with the criminal can
not In the least diminish our horror al
the way in which it has become Gust ma :
~ to avenge these crimes and at the con-
sequences that are already proceeding
therefrom. 1t is. Of course, inevitable that
where vengeance is taken by mob II
should frequently light on innocent people
and the wrong done in such a case to the
individual Is one for which there Is nc
remedy But even where the real Grim
.inal, Is reached, the wrong done by the
mob to the community itself is wel-nigf
as great Especially Is this true where
the lynching Is accompanied with torture
There are certain hideous sights which
when once seen. can never be wholly
erased from the mental retira The mer,
fact of having seen them implies degra
dation
This Is thousand-fold stronger when
instead of merely seeing the deed, tn
man has participated In 1t. Whoever, il
any part of our country, has ever takel
part in lawlessly putting to death a Grim
inal by tho dreadful torture of fire mus
forever after have the awful spectacle o
his own handiwork scared into his brai1
and soul. He can never again be tn
same man.
Doesn't Stop With Guilty.
'"This matter Of lynching, would be
terrible thing even If 1t stopped with tn
lynchng Of men guilty Of the inhuma
and hideous crime of rape. but as mat
ter Of fact lawlessness of this type neve
does stop sHd never can stop In sue