Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-07-31
A NATIONAL DISEASE.

Views on lynchlng Briefly stated, It
is that such outbursts Of lawlessness
mark a distinct lapse from civilization
That is sad commentary on our own
brand Of II. but who can deny the truth
Of that statement? The civilized world
has 80 Ions been unconcerned specta-
tors to Armenian massacras, and other
atrocities committed at It's very
threshold, that II is no wonder the con-
taglon has spread When the filth Is
permitted to accumulate around a
house, disease viii soon enter IT, And
that Is the case with the civilized
world As the professor puts 1t, the
lynching madness Is no transient con-
tagion. but a profound social disease,
spreading now like a forest Ere and
certain to bscome permanently endemic
IN every corner OF our country, unless
heroic remedies are swiftly adopted to
check H. The professor predicted,
three years ago that sooner or later
there would be civil war between the
races, and he now says there is moth
ing now IN sight TO check the spread OF
on epidemic far more yirulent than tho
cholera
Professor James Is right In his estl-
mate Of human nature, when he states
that only the greatest pressure can
keep the beast within from breaking
out lie Justly observes that the
average church-going ciyilizee realizes,
one may say, absolutely nothing Of the
deeper currents OF human nature, or OF
the aboriginal capacity for murderous
excitement which lies sleeping even In
his own bosom. Religion, custom, law
and education have been piling their
pressure upon him for centuries MAIN
~ with the one intent that his homicid
al potentialities should be kept under
But the watertight compartment
In which the cRrnlyora within US is
confined is artificial and not organic.
It VIII never be organic The slightest
dmlnutlon OF external pressure the
slightest loophole Of licensed exception,
viii make the whole system leaky, and
murder will again grow rampant
Perhaps the truth Of these observa-
tons was never better illustrated than
in the case OF the Danyille mob MUIR
der. last week. Danyllle is a civilized
city Of 1900 people, having schools,
churches and newspapers. But sud.
denly. as II the entire community had
become possessed by demons, all law
ana order were overturned. A negro
had committed crime The Of
ficers had him. and justice
would certainly have been meted
out to him But the mob gathered,
crying fer vengeance Murder was
comitted on the way to the Jail The
prison was then attacked and a cour-
ageous sheriff fought on the miscre-
ants the latter rushed on to gmt their
fury on another negro, who was lynch
ed with every CIRCUMSTANCE Of atrocity'
the militia was called out and Dan
vile WAS saved by military rule from
being sacked by It's own citizens. And
while these horrors are taking place in
the north, two simultaneous lynchings
occur IN the south-one Of them OF
woman the other Of the wrong ne
gro" and another lynching Is threat
ened and barely averted in Pennsylya-
MIA And 80 It goes II certainly looks
as II the observation OF Prof James
was true. that we are passing through
an epidemic Of lawlessness.
1t something to study this loath-
some disease phllosophicaly. and an
other 10 suggest a proper treatment
And there is but one. Officers Of the
law everywhere must do their duty, and
be held to strict account II they fan TO
do d. Lyuthers should be shot down,
as Wild beasts. IL they refuse to listen
to reason, and dispense And an who
aid and ahet IN the bloody work should
be IounQ oy the law, and treated as
they deserve. a sacred duty is incum-
bent upon every law-abIding citizen, to
use bis influence 10 bring about "a more
rational sentiment among the people
everywhere on this question The state
ment that Iynching Is but a manifesto
lion of am uncomfortable craving for
justice Is false as The dark PIC where
It first originated. Lynchlng represents
nothing hut the bioodthhsty instinct
against which civilization has slowly
sand laborousy raised a barrier Of law
and courts The idea OF the spirit that
prompts mob murders is. 90 break
down these barriers, 10 let 10 again the
food Of barbarism which means de-
rtrucuon and ruin. Intellectual as Wen