The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-08-20
NJ EXCUSE FUR
 MOB VIOLENCE David B Hill Speaks on the
 LynshIng Habit ALSO TALKS OF OTHER THINGS
There Is Too Much "spectaeuIarlsm" ln This, Says MT. Hill, and Some Men Are Too Anxious to
 Be Talked About.

e, annual picnic of the Niagara County Pio- neers association today 10000 persons gave a reception to David B. Hill.
 An immense crowd gathered at the open air theatre where the exercises of the day were held
 Attorney General Cuneen was the first speaker He paid a tribute to Senator Hill, who followed.
 MT. Hill, in opening, discussed Mob law ys. due process of law" He said:
 Mob violence is not rendered less ob- jectionable even if 1t be true as frequent ly asserted, that unless 1t shall interpose its strong arm. the guilty may escape punishment through lax administration of the criminal law, or indifference to its enforcement on the part of the people themselves. The very excuse offered IS reflection on the community itself where the crime has been committed. and the remedy lies, not in the people themselves overriding the law, but in the people up- holding and enforcing the law and In an appeal to their patriotism, their good sense. their innate love of justice and res pect for order, qualities which are seldom, if ever, invoked in vain. We cannot per- init this government to become mobo- cracy which acts upon feels restraint and recognizes no appeal from its nasty pre- judgment.
 Remedy Worse Than Disease.
 Grimes which can only be punished by such irresponsible tribunals as mobs might as we'll not be punished at all, because Tn the end, the remedy will be found to pc worse than the disease.
 "The duty of every American citizen who loves his country and her free insti- tutions is plain. He should assist in the creation of a healthy public sentiment, s'hould demand that no person charged with crime shall be punished tlierf .or- except under due process of law ana py Ia ryfui officials, and after a trial before court and jury as provided py tne wIse and benehcient provisions of our federal constitution and these vital provisions, so essential to the public welfare, must be respected in every part of our domain ana wherever our American flag shall perma- nently float; and every man, whetner white or black, native or foreign DOTH, rich or poor. educated or uniettereu' must be protected in his life and liberty
 Taking up another subject MT. dii said
 Too Much spectacularsn,.
 .rhe tendencies of the times is toward Indulgence in that peculiar species of sem sat,onal performance which may be char acterized in general terms as spectacu- larism. if I may be permitted to com that word.
 "snectacularists usually affect superf- oritv over other people; in the matter or patriotism they desire to be regarded as the only true patriots they assume 10 possess all the virtues while other peo- ple in their estimation possess all the vices They abhor silence and obscuri- ty. They assert the commonest Kind or self evident propositions, which have be- coyne moss covered from age with an em- nhssis as though they were oracies and as though their platitudes were wholly original
 'sThey have their press agents who un- solicited. supply the newspapers gratui- tuously with the details of whatever they do each morning. noon and night, as though the world was holding It's breath for fear that something would es- cape it pertaining to themselves. If they happen to hold a public office they are delighted to see their smallest public acts paraded, magnified and applauded They are sure that there were never before such public officials as themselves-so earnest. so honest, so sef-sacrihcing. They meddle with everything. whether within or without their official jurisdic- tion. and usually muddle everything with which they have anything to do.
 Sort of Diseases.
 "spectacnlarism as here interpreted, is a sort of disease. It expands the head and contracts the conscience and may appropriately be called egomania, which is another name for egoism.
 '"The hope of the country lies in the great mass of cool, deliberate and con servative citizens who pursue their avo- cations and perform their duties unos- tentatiously and entertain sincere con victions of their life's work. They neither delight in war, in contention, nor in un- necessary strife They carry no chip on their heads, always looking for trouble, their ways are ways of peasantness and It their paths are peace and they believe that righteousness more than the tri- umphs of war exalteth nation"
 MT. Hill criticized the last legislature for the number of laws passed by 1t and said the unfortunate tendency of the times seemed to be toward the exercise of paternal functions of government of individuals.
 "We should not forget" MT. Hill con- tinued. the old doctrine taught us by our fathers that that government is best Wnicn governs least lHe HAliIB LII tHc prices of products, the number of hours which a man may labor in private em- \ ployment in the field. on the farm, in the store or In the shop, the compensation which he shall receive therefor, and the persons with whom he may work, are largely matters to be regulated by pri- yate contract rather than by law" Petitions vs. Prosperity. MT. Hill discussed Fictitious vs. Real Prosperity as follows:
 | There is a chorus of assertion, con- ptantly reiterated. that the country at the present time is enjoying a period of much prosperity. Yet there are grave reasons for doubting the entire correct aess of the statement. It Is conceded that k many public works are m process of p>:onstruction, and many important enter prises are in process of development. but he fact must be born in mind that most