The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-22
The PEOPLE and the Law.

f. (. b
lottesvtllo Progress, is disturbed because OF
some comments OF ours upon u recent up
rising in the town Of Gainesville. GA
Gainesville is a prohibition town and no
liquor is allowed by law to DC sold l3 't
in spite Of the law many blind tigers
we're opened, liquor was freely sold, anu
ylco was rampant. BY and by the better
element became disguised and indignant
and finally marched out In d body and de-
stroyed the Illegal resorts In referring
TO the Incident, we said that 1t went iar
to show that there was q higher poWe'
than the law and tho government; that
laws were made for purpose. and that
so long as they served their purpose law
abiding citizens would obey and uphold
them; but that whenever 1t came 70 pass
that the law did not serve It's purpose, a
lonc-suffering people would rise up In
their might and indignation and take mat
ters into their own hands
Our Charlottesville contemporary seems
10 think In saying this, The Times-D Dis
patch was winking at and encouraging
mob rule Not at all. for we distinctly
said In this article that The Ttmes-Dls-
patch did not Justify mob violence and
RAIDERS of this paper know full well our
position on that subject We have never
lost all opportunity 10 speak word IN
season for the majesty Of the law and
against all forms Of lawlessness and riot.
But wo were discussing a situation rather
than a principle. We were stating fact,
for 1t is fact, as we said, that the people
are supreme and that they Will assert
their authority, law or no law. The people
are mightier than the law, for the creator
Is always greater than the creature
In saying this, we simply affirm the
..divine right Of revolution. Laws are
made by common consent, and are made
for the protection, as we'll as for the gov
eminent Of the people. They are made In
the Interests OF society. They are made
for the public veal. In order to have an
1t is necessary for the people by common
consent to obey the Law. But the fact yet
remains that the people are greater thal1
the laws for the people make the laws
Sometimes the machinery OF the law be.
comes imperative either through corrup-
ton or Incidence on the part OF the OH.
| cers of tho law, and sometimes situa'
| ton arises which Is entirely beyond the
| ~ 4 o 1,y, md n
| a situation arose in the city of Danvllle
| in 1853. There was clash between tho
races, and it was necessary for the white
| men OF the city to exercise their suprc
macy ana to strike one decisive blow ii
| the interest Of honor and peace.
They did SO. and tho blow was all sufh
| cient It aettled a. question which the Ia"
had not been able to settle, and settled
| it once for all.
4 A. somewhat similar situation arose sew
/ eral years later in the city OF New Or
leans, and the people of that city deal
with it much In the same way.
Coming down to later times We ma,
refer to the recent situation In Panama
The conduct Of tho Federal government
became unbearable, and the people Q
Panama, like the people Of the sonther'
4 States defied tho Federal authorities, &C
ceded and set up a government OF thei
own.
Whether or not the people OF Gaines
vii Ga. we're justified In the course tho
pursued we do not pretend to say. It seem
to US a terrible thing that the best CIT
zens OF a town should form thernselve
into a mob and destroy property and ~
men out Of the community. and the eli
cumstance was exaggerated by the fax
tina, the mob was led by preacher "
have never meant to justify this EN-
nrnty respectable mob; We simply en-
rloyea the Ire dent as an Illustration, III
people are the law
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Stuart Monument.
The women OF the South are Its mon,
ment builders Little. indeed, has bee
done in that direction without the