The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-08-12
John Temple Graves Defends
 Lyncbing for Crime of Rape
"MOB CONFERENCE" MEETS
Problem of the Hour Is Not How to Prevent Lynehina, But How to De- stroy That Which Has AL
 ways Provoked It.

Chautauqua, N Y. August 1i.-Unique among all summer gatherings is the "mob conference" now in progress here. The increase of mob spirit shown by feuds, lynchings, riots, assassnations and other lawless happenings gives great importance to this conference.
 John Temple Graves of Georgia In his address "On the Mob Spirit of the South" defended lynch-law as a remedy for the crime of rape; holding that though lynch- ing is a crime, 1t is justified by the crime which provokes 1t. and will never be dis continued until the crime is eliminated. The remedy for lynehngs must be the elimination of the crime of rape, and this, he maintained, could only be done by the separation of the two races in the United l States
 "The problem of the hour is not how to prevent 1ynchings in the south, but the larger question: How shall be destroy the crime which always has. and always 1 will provoke lynching.'
 Mob's Answer Already Known.
 "rhe answer which the mob returns to this vital question Is already known. The
 
 and sometimes. God save us with the torch And the mob is practical; its the ory is effective to a large degree the mob is today the sternest, the strongest and the most effective restraint that the age holds forth for the control of rape.
 "The lyncher does not exterminate the rapist,' MT. MT. Graves contended, but l he hold him nightly in check. As a sheer, patent fact. he said the mob stands today as the most potential bull wark between the women of the south and such carnival of crime as would infuriate the world and preclpitate the annihilatlan. of the negro race. Tho masses of the negro, he held were not afraid of death coming iH a regular way. They love display and the spectacular element of a trial and the execution appeal to their imaginations.
 Swift Justice Not Adequate.
 "Expediting the progress of the law would not be adequate to eliminate i lynchng. The repeal of the amendments and the establishment of the negroes i inferlority in law and society. said Mir. Graves though desirable, are not sufi- cent, for the negro,e he added. lis thing of the senses and with this race and with all similar races the desire of the sense must be restrained by the terror of the senses. if possible under the law
 'No influence of suppression so mighty and effective could be brought to bear as law making amputation the penalty for the crime or rape But this, like curfew edicts, separate laws for white and black. or the treatment of the crime of rape as separate and outside of all other codes. are but expedient. He maintained there Is no real remedy but one. No statute will permanently solve this problem Re- ligion does not solve it; education com plicates 1t. Politics complicates it. The truth which lies beyond and above all 1 these temporizing expedients," he con cuded lis that separation Is the logical. l the inevitable, the only solution of this 1 great problem of the races
 Moral contaelon.
 Discussing the subject of Mental and | Moral Contagion," Dr. J. M. Bukley of New York, after speaking at some length 1 of the various transient and permanent changes that take place under different physical and mental influences in human personality, took up the question of crime
  istence of society and its attritions; thaae3 sin and violence could be committed b. H person alone in the world but not so crin- M He showedfthe operation of this, and hc far through their natural causes epidemic H might spread Tn conclusion he declared that as laws of association bring on such general and feverish criminal tendencies so the laws of association must be employed to an- tagonize them.
 Graves Answers Questions.
 In the afternoon mob conference. John Temple Graves of Atlanta answered questions. The north and south were about equally represented. MT Graves plan for the solution of the race troubles Is a state set aside for negroes. and dis franchsement outside of that territory He proposed no general exodus, but a gradual emigration. He said the south would not object 10 the loss of the ne- groes. for 1t is learned that superiority of white labor.
 "Is mob execution" he was asked, "a matter of economy 10 the south.
 NO" he replied. ''The south never weighs money in the matter of womans honor"
 Another question was:
 Are not the southern mobs largely white trash. and men of murderous in- tent?"
 He answered: By no means. The mobs have included the highest In the land, officials and professional men," He de- clared that white man would be lynched as quickly as a negro for an offense against white woman's honor He in- stanced in proof the only lynching in New Orleans in recent years.