The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-10
Says that IL Leads To Conditions That
Mean the Ultimate Overthrow
Of the Republic.
FoRERUNNER OF TYRANNY
MUST SHOW THAT THE LAW Is ADE-
QUATE TO DEAL WITH CRIME.
Rights Of Prisoners 10 n Fair Trial
Must BE Protected, hut There
Must He No Delay.

OYSTER BAY, N. Y, Aug. 9.-In a letter.
the publication of which was authorized
to-day, President Roosevelt under date OF
Aug. 6. commends Governor Winfield T.
Durbin, OF Indiana, for the attitude he as
sumed recently respecting lynching The
President also embraces the opportunity to
express his own views i'm reference to lynch
ing and mob violence generally. pointing
out that mob violence is merely one form
of anarchy and that anarchy is the fore
runner of tyranny. The President vigor-
ously urges that the penalty for that crime
which most frequently induces a resort TO
lynching shall be applied swiftly and sure
ly, but by due process of the courts, 50
that II may be demonstrated that the law
is adequate to deal with crime by freeing il
from every vestige of technicality and de-
lay"
President Roosevelt's letter in full to Gov
ernor Durbin follows:
Permit me to thank you as an American
citizen for the admirable way I'm which you
have vindicated the majesty of the law by
your recent action in reference to lynching.
L 1eel my dear sir, that you have mace
all men your debtors who believe, as all
far-seeing men must, that the well-being
indeed; H; the very existence. OF the Republic
under the law which is as incompatible with
mob violence as with any form of despot-
ism. OF course, mob violence is simply one
form of anarchy, and anarchy is now. as II
always has been. the handmaiden and fore
runner OF tyranny.
Il feel that you have not only reflected
honor upon the State which. for it's good
fortune hes you as it's chief executive. but
upon the whole Nation. 1t is incumbent
upon every man throughout this country
not only TO hold up your hands In the course
you have been following but TO show his
realization that the matter is one of vital
concern
"An thoughtful men must feel the grav-
est alarm over the growth of lynching I'm
this country, and especially over the pc
culiarly hideous forms so often taken by
mob violence when 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 a 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 what
soever. The feeling of all good citizens that
such hideous crime shall not be hide0usly
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
| consequences which follow the course taken
by the mob in exacting inhuman vengeance
/ for an nhuman wrong. In such cases
moreover. IL is well TO remember that the
| criminal not merely sins against humanity
| in inexplicable and objectionable fashion,
/ but sins particularly against his own race
and does them a wrong far greater than
/ any white man can possibly do them.
/ Therefore, in such cases the colored people
! throughout the land should in every possi-
bic way show their belief that they. more
/ than all others In the community. are hor-
r1hed ar the commission OF such a crime
/ and are peculiarly concerned I'm taking
and to Sring the @ daina is IT, & Te
mediate justice. The slightest lack OF vigor
| either in denunciation of the crime or I'm
bringing the criminal TO justice is itself
objectionable.
JUSTICE SHOULD BE SWIFT
Moreover. every effort should be made
under the law TO expedite the proceedings
of justice in the of such an awful
crime. But Ii cannot be necessary I'm order
| TO accomplish this to deprive any citizen OF
those fundamental rights to be heard I'm his
/ own defense which are SO dear 10 us all and
which lie at the root OF our liberty. 1t GER
tainly ought TO be possible, by the proper
administration of the laws. to secure swift
vengeance upon the criminal; and the best
and immediate efforts of all legislators
judges and citizens should be addressed to
securing such reforms in our legal proceed
Ere as TO leave no vestige of excuse for
| those misguided men who undertake to reap
vengeance through violent methods.
-, Men who have been guilty of a crime
like rape or murder should be visited with
swift and certain punishment and the inst
effort made b. the courts to protect them in
their rights should under no crcums tances
! De perverted INTO permitting any mere
| technicality to avert or delay their punish
ment The substantial rights OF the pris-
oner 10 a fair trial must. OF course. be guar
anteed, you have justly insisted that
they should be; but subject to this guaran-
tee. the law must work swiftly and surely
and all the agents of the law should realize
| the wrong they do when they permit Justice
/ TO be delayed thwarted for technical or
i Insufficient reasons. We must show that
| the law is adequate to deal with crime by
freeing 1t from every yestige of technicality
| and delay.
But the fullest recognition OF the horror
| of the crime and the most complete lack
/ of sympathy with the criminal cannot in
the least diminish our horror at the way in
which IL has become customary 20 ayenge
these crimes and at the consequences that
course inevitable that where vengeance IA
taken by a mob IL should frequently light
on innocent people. and the wrong done in
| such a case To the individual is one for
which there is no remedy. But even where
the real criminal Is reached the wrong done
| by the mob 10 the community itself II well
nigh as great. Especially is this true where
| the lynching is accompanied with torture
There certain hideous sights which
| when once seen can never be wholly erased
| from the mental retina. The mere fact OF
having seen them implies mental degrada-
tion This Is a thousandfold stronger when.
4 instead OF merely seeing the deed the man
has participated I'm IL. Whoever I'm any
part OF our country has ever taken part In
lawlessly putting 10 death criminal by the
dreadful torture OF fire must forever after
have the awful spectacle of his own handi-
work scared into his brain and soul. He
! can never again be the same man.
SPREAD OF THE EVIL
This matter OF iynching would be ter
rible thing even IL IL stopped with the
lynching of men guilty OF the inhuman and
hideous crime of rape; but matter of
fact. lawlessness of this type never does
stop and never, can stop I'm such fashion
Every violent man in the community is
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