Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-08-04
CONFERENCE ON MOB LAW.

Seine OF our contemporaries express
the belief that It Is not possible to reach
the murderous mobs in this country, by
law. They argue that neither courts
nor officers viii do their duty in the
matter Of bringing to justice the per-
sons to whose votes they owe their po-
sitions, and that iures viii not convict
their fellow citizens for crimes in which
they have perhaps all participated.
This If true, is a most terrible indiot-
ment OF American institutions. II Is
equivalent to saying that In a popular
government murder cannot be punished,
when committed by number Of per-
sons. IL Is confession Of failure OF
what Is regarded us the most perfect
form OF human government; for. II un.
der this government the most barbar-
Gus crimes must go unpublished, then
destruction cannot be far off. Then,
the country must be filling up with yio-
lence. as was the antediluvlan world
until the flood came and swept away
the doors Of iniquity,
We can hardly believe that the evil
Is beyond remedy In this country. There
are some signs Of a return 10 reason.
And one OF these Is the fact that the
press Is crying out with loud voice
against the insanity that seems to be
creeping on Us. As result OF this, a
conference win be held from August 10
to August IS, at Chautauqua, on the
growth of mob law. This augurs well.
For such a conference win further
awaken the conscience Of the nation TO
the peril 1t is mourning. and when the
national conscience Is thoroughly awak.
ened. there win be a change Of senti-
ment. and then courts, and officers. and
jurles will do .helr duties.
1t is high time that this country do
something TO get rid OF the bloodstains
that cry TO high heaven for vengeance.
II not, American civilization viii lose
prestige and power in the world and
can, consequently not perform the
mission 1t has been entrusted with. A
writer in Dresden newspaper recent
~ said
TN the United States there Il al pres
ent tremendous indignation on account
Of the massaores In Kisheney. President
Roosevelt has received delegates OF the
B'nal Birth and has promised iIerven-
ton. Great meetings are being held In
which the Russian animals without
souls are damned IN the name Of cul-
ture, Of humanity, Of human rights
and the liberation Of mankind by the
Americans. At the same moment
crazy mob Kills an innocent negro be-
cause town authorities have wrested
the guilty negro from It's grasp In the
eastern hemisphere innocent Jews are
Killed because they are Jews-and in
the western hemisphere one
makes Ner0's torches out of
negroes merely because they are
negroes. Under these conditions
the enlightened Occident has par
tlcularIy little reason TO become indlg-
nant over the barbaric Orient-Orlent
ana occldent are no more TO be
Hhl ANN.
II may be said that foreign public
opinion does not concern us much. But
We have recently professed strong be.
lief IN the potency Of American public
opinion in the Russian highest circles.
n this is anything but Authorization.
we cannot bh Indifferent 10 a righteous
public opinion ourselves Il is "a poor
rule That does not work more than
one way. We cannot afford To stand
Justly condemned before the civilized
world as murderous nation. The
blood that has been shed unocenty
must be avenged, and m9hs must he
brought uudcr submission to law II
must be proved that popular govern
ment is better than monarchies ana
despotisms.