The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-08-30

Gus suggestion, profound moralizings,
judicial blindness, and oblique deliver
ances "cussing' punishment by mobs,
while ignoring multiplying crimes, en-
couraging rapes and murders, and pardon
ing criminals Long ago the Southern
press denounced rapes, regretted the ne
cessity of mob vengeance, and stated again
and again that the only way to put Il
stop to rapes by low-down whites, devils
incarnate,>of both colors, and negro brutes,
End the rapes, and the end to lynchings
Tor the great, damniiig, Internal crime of
rape would cease and at once. Let the
court inflexibly invariably punish crime
to the extent OF tile laws, let trials by
jury be prompt, and let good men and
true only be placed in the jury box
Until this is done there will be but little
cessation to rapes and murders, but on the
contrary they will increase with time. 1
was very much impressed with what my
good and honored friend, Chief Justice
Clark, of our Supreme Court, lately wrote
in one of his opinions. He stated that
lyEchings were increasing, and he held
that there was nothing more subversive
of good government than lynchings" He
mentioned that in fourteen years in North
Carolina more men had been lynched than
had been hanged by the courts-a pain
full shameful, degrading statement to the
courts as well as to our alleged civiliza-
ton. In two years eight persons have
been lynched In this State, three of
whom were lynched for rape. Five per-
sons only, in fourteen years in q great
State had been hanged by the courts.
This is most fatal to the safety of human
life, to law and order and common sense.
How can it be otherwise with such juries
as now try criminals, with oft-hearted
judges presiding, with a Chief Executive,
however able and high in character, un-
able to resist the appeals of mutitudnous
court officials and tens of thousands of
signers in behalf of crime and criminal
convicts. Mr.. Justice Clark says that in
the past twelve years there has been a
doubling of murders in North Carolina,
and still in fourteen years but five hang
ings for all offenses, rape included Who
can expect any reform or any safety to
pure, true women and human life gener-
ally? Chief Justice Clark says that man
slaughter has increased four-fold and other
crimes 20 per cent" Horrible, most ex-
ecrable. l quote: 'In trial for any
capital offense, apart from other reasons,
the mode of trial prescribed by legislation
of itself renders a conviction for murder
in the first degree almost an impossibihty
lin North Carolina) except in cases of
sheer poisoning or lying in wait, if the
prisoner is able to obtain able and skill
full counsel"
The legislatures somehow have played
havoc with divorce laws-throwing down
the fence in behalf of lust and meanness,
and for the clearing of scoundrels, muir
derers and rapists. A rascal on trial for
life or outrage upon a good woman has
tN enty-three peremptory challenges and
the State, standing as prosecutor and for
the protection of helpless, defenceless wo-
man and for human safety and life itself,
has but four challenges. Barbaric truly
and highly sympathetic with the bad and
the devilish Read this from the very
able and conscientious Chief Justice:
"Our statute law says murder shall be
punished with death. In practice in this
State and some others, the punishment is
ordinarily fine paid by the accused to
his counsel as fee. and far heavier
fine paid by the law-abiding people for the
costs Of ohe useless trial. A Northern
law journal, considering the very grave
things said by Chief Justice Clark, says
wisely and truly that 1.-THE practical aboli-
ton of capital punishment in communi-
ties where popular sentiment regards it
as essential to repress crime is one cause
which fosters lynchings.'' l make one
more quotation from the Chief Justice of
North Carolina, ever watchful, candid and
true. He says 1t is useless to denounce
lynchings, by statute or otherwise, in any
locality where men in any considerable
number believe hat in no other way than
by the fear of lynching can grave crimes
be prevented, and that the fear of pun
ishment by law l.. toe vague and indefin-
lite to deter men from the commission of
capital offenses The ever increasing tide
of crime should be repressed in an orderly
and legal way, by the administration of
the law by the courts, and resort to any
other mode is evil, and evil only"
A venerable lady who is as well born
as any woman in the United States-witb
DIS many eminent ancestry and as many
klnsmen OF the highest possible American
rank-a lady who has been member of
the church for quite fifty years, once said
to me in reading of some of the horrid.
damning crimes and outrages perpetrated
upon white women of character, that the
brutes lynched deserved their fate richly,
and l was indignant and sympathetic
enough to indorse her view There is not
a man in North Carolina unless insensible
to crime of the most awful magnitude,
and without the ordinary feelings and
manhood of his race, who would not have
a brute lynched If his own pure, faithful
wife, or his dear sister, or the sweet, love-
ly daughter of his home, just budded into
gracious womanhood. had been assaulted
by villain, cruelty beaten and then MUIR
dered. The greatest of all writer's left
this for man to think of:
"If that Heaven do not their visible spirits
Send quickly down to tame these vile
Offenses,
Twill come,
Humanity must perforce prey on itself.
Like monsters of The Deep