The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-08-20
A MOB CONFERENCE
Unique Gathering Discusses a Live
Question of The Day
DEFENCE OF LYNCHlNG FOR RAPE
John Temple Graves Speaks on "ihe
rlob Spirit In the South and De-
tends His Section.

ChautauQua, N. l., 0peCldi.- ohiquS
among all summer gatherings is the
mob conference" now in progress
here. The increase of mob spirit shown
ty feuds, lynchings, riots, ~assassina-
tons and other lawless happenings
gives great importance to this confer
ence. Among Tuesdays speakers was
John Temple Graves, Of Atlanta, Ga.
Mr.. Graves spoke on THE Mob Spirit
OF the South" He defended lynch law
as a remedy fer the crime OF rape.
holding that though lynching Is a
crime, it is justified by the crime which
provokes it and will never be discon-
tinued until that crome is eliminated.
The remedy for %lyinching must be the
elimination of the crime Of rape and
this. he maintains, could be done only
by the separation OF the W races IN
the United States.
1.-THE problem Of the hour Is not how
to prevent lynching in the South. but
the larger question. How shall we de-
stroy the crime which always has and
always will provoke lynching" The an
swer which the mob returns to this VI
tai question is already known. The
mol answers it with the rope, the bull
let and sometimes. God save US, with
/, the torch. And the mob is practical; its
theory IL effective to a large degree;
the mob IL today the %sternest, the
| strongest and the most effective re-
49, 49, &ha on hn1lc for the ron.
/ troll Of rape"
The lyncher does not exterminate
| the rapist. Mr.. Graves contended, out
he hollis him nightly in check. AS a
sheer, cold, patent fact, he said, the
mob stands today as the most potential
bulwark between the women OF the
| South and such a carnival OF crime
as would infurIate the world and pre-
| cipitate the humiliation OF the negro
race. The masses of the negro, he held,
are not afraid of death coming IN a
re sular way. They love display and the
| spectacular element Of a trial and ex-
ecu.ion appeal to their imaginations.
Expediting the processes OF the Ia"
would not be adequate to eliminate
lynching. The repeal OF the amend
ments and the establishment OF the ne
groes' infeliority in society, declared
Mr.. Graves, though desirable, are not
sufficient. "sor the negro" he added,
lis a thing OF the senses, and with this
race and with Sll similar races the de-
sire of the seiIse- must be restrained
by the terror o; NE senses, II possible,
under the law"
No influence Of suppression so
mighty and effective could be brought
to bear as a law making amputatlon
the penalty for the crime OF rape. But
this, like eurfew edicts, separate laws
for white and black, or the treatment
OF the crime of rape as separate ana
outside of all other codes are u ex-
pedients. he maintained; there is no
real remedy but one. No statute Will
permanently solve this problem. Re-
| licion does not solve it. Education
complicates it. Politics complicates II;
THE truth which lies beyond n
above all those temporizing expedl-
ents." he concluded, "is that separa-
ton is the logical. the inevitable, the
only solution OF this great problem Oh
the races" ,
Discussing the subject Of Mental
and Moral Contagion," DR.. ]. M: BUCK
ley, OF New York, after speaking at
some length Of the various transient
and permanent changes that take place
under different physical and mentai
influences, in human personality, look
IN the question Of crime and argued
that all crime implied the existence OF
society," and its attritions, that sin and
vice could be committed by a person
olone in the world, but not so crime.
He showed the operation OF this n
how far through their natural causes
epidemics might spread.
In conclusion. he declared that as
laws of association bring on such gen.
eral and severish criminal tendencies,
so the laws Of association must be en-
pioyed to antagonize them.