Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1903-08-19
A MOB CONFERENCE
Unique Gathering Discusses Live
Question of The Day
DEFENCE OF LYNCH!NG FOR RAPE
John Temple Graves Speaks on 1.-The
r1ob Spirit in the South" and De-
fends His Section.

Shautauqua, n. Y, Speclal.-UniQue
among all summer gatherings is the
mob conference now in progress
here. The increase of mob spirit shown
by feuds, lynchings, riots, assassina-
tions 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 remedy for the crime OF rape.
holding that though lynching is
crime, it is justified by the crime which
provoi:es 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 two races in
the United States.
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 VIII provoke lynching? The an
swer which the mob returns to this vi
tai question is already known The
mob answers it with the rope. the bull
let and sometimes, God save us. with
the torch. And the mob is practical: its
theory is effective to a large degree;
the mob is today the sterncst. the
strongest and the most effective re-
straint that the age holds for the con-
troll Of rape
The lyncher does not exterminate
the rapist. Mr.. Graves contended, but
he holds him nightly in check. AS n
sheer, cold. patent fact, he said. the
mob stands today as the most potential
bulwark between the women OF the
South and such carnival of crime
as would infuriate the world and pre-
cipitatc the annihilation of the negro
race. The masses of the negro, he held.
are not afraid OF death coming III 4
regular way. They love display and the
spectacular element of a trial and eX-
ecution appeal to their imagnation5.
EXpediting the processes OF the law
would not be adequate to eliminate
lynching. The repeal of the amend
ments and the establishment OF tho ne
groes' infcTiority in society, declared
Mr.. Graves. though desirable. are not
sufficient. "tor the negro" he added,
lis thing OF the senses, and with this
race and with all similar races the de-
sire OF the senses must he restrained
by the terror of the senses. if possible,
under the law"
No influence OF suppression so
mighty and effective could be brought
to bear as law making amputation
the penalty for the crime of rape. But
this, like curfew edicts. separate laws
for white and black, or the treatment
of the crime Of rape as separate and
outside OF all other codes are but cx-
pediCnts. he maintained; there is no
real remedy but one. No statute Will
permanently solve this problem. Re
ligion does not solve it, Education
compicates it. Politics complicatcs 1t.
The truth which lies beyond and
above al! those temporiZing eXpedi-
ents," he concluded. lis that separa-
ton is the logical. the inevitable, the
only solution of this great problem OF
the races"
Discussing the subject OF Mental
and Moral ContagiOn." DR.. J. NJ. Buck
ley. Of New York. after speaking at
some length Of the various transient
under different physical and mertal
influences. in human personality, took
up 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
alone in the world. but not so crime.
He showed the operation of this and
how far through their natural causes
epidemics might spread.
In conclusion. he declared that as
laws of association bring on such gen
eral and feverish criminal tendencies.
so the laws OF association must be en-
DlOyed to antagonize them.