The Gainesville star. [volume] (Gainesville, Fla.) 1903-19??, 1903-08-14
RULE OF LYNCHEES
DepIored by President RoOSe-
veItin Letter to Durbin.
A REMEDY IS SUGGESTED
Speedy Trial and Punishment for
Holnous Crimes Would stay Mob
Justlee---orowth Of Lynohlng
Cause Of Great Alarm.

Cause Of Great Alarm.
In a letter, the publication Of which
was authorized Sunday, President
Roosevelt commends Governor Durbiu,
OF Indiana, for the attitude ne assum.
ed recently respecting -lynchlng. The
president also embraces the oppOrtun.
ity to express his own Views In refer.
ence to lynchlug and mob violence
generally. pointing out that mob ylo'
lence is merely OIL form of anarchy
and hat anarchy Is the forerunner OF
tyranny. Tho president vigorously
urges that the penalty for crimes that
induce a resort to lynching shall be
applied swiftly and surely, but by Tue
process OF the courts, so that 1t may
be demonstrated chat the law Is ade-
auato to deal with crime by freeing I
from every vestige OF technicality and
delay"
President Roosevet's letter In part
to Governor Durbin follows:
"oyster Bay, N. Y, August 8, 1903,
Mr.. Dear Governor Durbin: Permit
me to thank you as an American cltl'
zen for tho admirable way in which
you have INDICATED the majesty Of the
law by your recent acuon In reference
to lynchlng. | feel, my dear sir, that
you have made all men your debtors
who believe, as all far.seelng men
must, that the well-boing, indeed the
very existence, Of the republic de-
ponds upon that spirit Of orderly lib
erty under the law which is as incon'
patible with mob violence rs with any
form of despotlsm. OF course mob
violence is simply one form Of an
arcby; and anarchy Is now, as 1t nj.
ways has been, the handmaiden and
forermner of tyranny.
"Al thoughtful men must feel the
gravost alarm over the growth Of
lynching in this country, and especial
ly over the peculiarly hideous forms
so often taken by mob violence wnen
colored men are the victims; on which
occasions the mob seems to lay most
weight, not on the crime, but on the
color OF the criminal. In certain
proportion Of these cases the man
lynched has been guilty of crime
horrible beyond description; crime
SO horrible that as far as he himself
is concerned, he has forfeited the right
to any kind of sympathy whatsoever.
No sympathy for Criminal.
1.-THE feeling of all good citIzsns
that such a hideous crime shall 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 conSc-
quences which follow the course taken
by the mob In exacting inhumhn ven
geance for an inhuman wrong. IA
sLch cases, moreover, 1t is well to re.
member that the criminal not mere
ly sins against humanity in inexplable
and objectionable fashion, but slas
| particularly against his own race, and
does them wrong far greater than
any white man can possibly do them.
people throughout the land should IN
every possible way show their belief
that they, more than all others In the
community, are horrlhed at the com.
mission Of such crime and are ne
cullarly concerned In taking every pos
sible measure to prevent Its recur.
renee and to bring the criminal to i'm.
mediate Justice, The slightest lack Of
vigor, either in denunciation OF the
crime, or in tringing the criminal 10
justice is itself objectionable.
Moreover, every effor. should he
made under the law to expedite The
proceedings OF justice In the case OF
such an awful crime. But 1t cannot be
necessary in order to accomplish this
to deprive any citizen of those fundq.
mental rights TO be heard In his own
defense, which are SO dear to us all
and which lie at the root of our lib
erty. It certainly ought to be possible
by the proper administration of the
laws to secure swift vengeance upon
the criminal; and the best and imme-
date efforts OF all legislators, judges
and citizens should be addressed to sc.
curing such reforms, in our legal pro.
cedure a to leave no vestige OF excuse
for those who undertake to wreak ven
geance through violent methods.
"The nation, like the individual,
cannot commit crime with IMMUNITY.
II we are guilty of lawlessness and
brutal violence, whether our guilt con.
sists in active participation therein 1T
In mere connivance and encourage.
mont, we shall assuredly suffer later
on because OF what we have done.
Sincerely yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"