The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-08-12

| I
men who undertake to reap vengeance
through violent methods
Too Much Delay.
Men who have been guilty Of q
crime like rape or murder should be
visited with swift and certain punish
ment, and the Just effort made by the
courts 10 protect them in their rights
should under no circumstances be per
yerted into permitting any mere tech.
nlcallty TO avert or delay their pun.
ishment. The substantial rights Of
the prisoner to a fair trial must. of
course. be guaranteed as you have so
Justly insisted. That they should be
made subject 20 this guarantee, the
law must work swiftly and surely. and
all the agents Of the law should real
lie the wrong tnat they do when they
permit Justice to be delayed or thwart
ed for technical or insufficient rea
sons. We must show that the law Is
adequate to deal with crime by freeing
Il from every yestige Of technlcallty
and delay.
"But the fullest recognition OF the
horror OF the crime and the most com.
plete lack of sympathy with the Grim.
lnal cannot in the least diminish our
horror at the way In which II has been
customary to ayenge these crimes and
ht the consequences that are already
spreading therefrom II Is. OF course
Inevitable that whore vengeance Is
taken by a mob Il should frequently
light on innocent people. and for the
wrong done In such a case TO the ind
yidual there is no remedy. But even
where criminals are reached. the great
wrong done by the mob to the com
munity itself Is well nigh as great
Especially Is this true where the |
lynchlng ia accompanied with torture.
There are certain hldeous sights |
which. when once seen. can never be
wholly erased from the mental retlna.
The mere fact OF having seen them
implies depreciation. This is a thou
'andfold stronger when, instead of |
merely seSlng the deed, the man has
participated In II. Whoever in any
part OF our country has ever taken
nart In lawlessly putting to death a
irimlnal by the dreadful torture OF
Ire must forever after have the aw
'ul spectacle o. his handlwork scared
into his brain and soul He can new |
or again he the same man.
Violent Men Encouraged.
This matter OF lynching would h,
a terrible thing even II Il STONED
with the lynching OF men guilty Of
the inhuman and hideOus crime of /
rape, but a. a matter OF fact the law.
lessness OF this type does not stor
md never can stop In such fashion. |
Every violent man In the communi
" Is encouraged by every case of
lynohing, In which the lynehers 20 nm
punished, TO take the law into his own
aands whenever Il suits his own con.
venienoe. In the same way the uss
lf torture by the mob In certain
'aaes is sure to spread until n is an.
pled more or less lndlscriminately n
lther cases. The spirit Of lawless
ness grows with what Il feeds ON and |
when mobs with impunity lynch Grim
mails for one cause, they are certain
10 begin 1nching innocent or alleged |
criminals for other causes"
In the recent cases OF lynehins
over .hreefourths were not for rane
At all but for murder. attempted muir.
ier ana even less hideous offenses
Moreover, the history OF these re-.
cent cases shows the awful fact that
"hen the minds OF men are habluated
to the use Of torture by lawless bodies
% aVenee crime of peculiarly revolt.
ing description. other lawless hoa,as
VIII use torture In order 70 mnish
crimes OF an ordinary type.
surely no patriot can fail TO see
me fearful brutaliEation and dehasa.
ment which the indulgence OF snch a
Rlrit and such practices ineyitahlv
por'end Surely all public men an
writer's Of the daily press. an CLERGY.
men' all teachers. who In any way
nave right to address the public
should with every energy denounce
saeh crimes. and support those en-.
SASsd IL putting thom down. Asa neo.
pie We claim the right TO speak with
peculiar emphasis for freedom and for
lalr treatment Of all men without n.
gard to difference Of race. fortune.
creed or color. We forfeit the right
- A.