The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1903-08-19
Says John Temple Graves and You
Will Stop Lynchings.
HE TALKS OUT VERY PLAINLY
And Says Boldly That the Usual
Crime Will be Followed
I'm the South by
Lynching.

1ngS is the Mob Conference" now in
progress at Chatauqua, n. Y. The
increase OF mob spirit shown by feuds,
lynchings, riots, assasSinations and
other lawless happenings gives great
Importance To this conference. Among
Wednesdays speakers was John Tenn
pie Graves OF Atlanta, GA.
Mr.. Graves spoke on THE mob
spirit Of the south" lie defended
lynch law as remedy for the crime
of rape, holding that though lynching
is crime it is justified 10y the crime
which provokeS it and will never be
discontinued until that crime is
eliminated The remedy for lynch
ing must he the elimination OF the
crime of rape and thus, he maintaine,
could be done only by the separation
Of the two races in the United States.
The problem of the hour is not
how to pre"ent lynching in the south
but the larger question:: How shall
we destroy the crime which always
has and always will provoke lynch
ing"
turns to this vital question is already
known. The mob answers it with
the rope, the bullet and sometimes.
God save us, with the torch. And
the mob is practical. It's theory is
effective to Il large degree: the mob is
the Sternest, the strongest and most
effective restraint that the age holds
for the control of rape.
The lyncher does not eXterminate
the rapiSt," Mr. Graves contended,
but he holds him nightly in
check"
AS a sheer, cold, patent fact, he
said, the mob stands Wednesday as
the most potential bulwark between
the women OF the south and such a
carnival of crime as would and precip-
itate the annihilation OF the negro
race. The masses of the negro, he
held are not afraid OF death coming
a regular way. The love display and
the spectacular element of trial and
execution appeal to their imagina-
tionS.
EXpediting the processes Of the law
would not be adequate to eliminate
lynching. The repeal Of the amend
mentS and the establishment Of the
negro'S inferiOrity in law and society,
said Mr.. Graves, though desirable, are
not sufficient.
For the negro" he added, lis a
thing of the senses and with his race
and with all similar races the desire
of the senses must be restrained by the
terror of the senses, if possible, under
the law.
No influence Of suppression sc
mighty and effective could be brought
to bear is a law making amputation
the penalty for the crime 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 but eXpedi-
entS, he maintained, there is no rca
remedy but one. No statute will per
manently solve this problem. Religion
does not solve it. Education compli.
Gates it. Politics complexities it.
The truth which lies beyond and
above all those temporizing eXpedi
entS," he concluded, lis that separa
tion is the logical, the inevitable, the
only solution Of the great problem o
the races"
Discussing the subject Of "Menta
and moral contagion." DR.. j. M
Buckley OF New York, after speaking
at some length OF the various transient
and permanent changes that takt
place under different PHYSICAL anC
mental influences in human personal
ity, took up the question of crime ant
| ur oil nrfDn i'm nj n "
iStence OF social and its attritiOnS
that sin and vice could be committed
by Il person alone in the world but no
so crime. He showed the operation o
this and how far through their natur
al causes epidemicS might spread.
In conclusion, he declared that Il
laws Of association bring on such gen
eral and feverish criminal tendencies
SO the laSw OF association must be EN-
ploYed TO antagOnize.
In the afternoon mob conference
John Temple Graves answered ques
tions. The north and south wer
equally represented. Mr.. Graves
plan for the solution OF the rae
troubles is state set aside for ne
grOeS and diSenfranChiSement outSid
of that territory. He said the sout
would not object to the loss Of TN
negro and for it learning the Superi
ority OF white labor.
Is mob execution" he was asked
"a matter Of economy to the Southr
NO" he replied the south neve
weighs money in the matter of VIC
mans honor"
Another question was, Are nc
the southern mObS largely white traS
and men Of murderouS intentions?
, He answered:
By no means. The mob have il
cluded the highest in the land, OF
ticials and professional men
lie declared that white man woul
be lynchcd as quickly as "A negro fC
an oiTenSe against Il white woman
honor. He inStanced i'm proof TIN
, only lynchng in New Orleans in II
cent years.