Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-15
DENoUNCfF MOB Law
cHAUTAHoUA.
Violence Of Mobs iaEDeadly Treason
Against ths -aazernment,
He Declares.

terday says: TheLddiscHssion of mob law
and lynchings asacontipued here today by
Chief Justice Lore OF Delaware His sub
ject was THE Relation of Law to the Man
Hesitation of the Mob Spirit" He said in
part:
In discussing this subject we are brought
in touch with one of the evils. perhaps the
evil, most dangerous to republican form of
government
'Our, government is based upon written
constitutions, national and state, and upon
statute law, which define or limit the pow
ers Of government. and the rights and priv
ileges of the people. Its whole framework
Is written law. Under this law each citi-
zen covenants with every other citizen what
shall be the rights and duties Of each one
toward the other and to the government.
Individual liberty within such limits is CIV
en- up to the government for the public
veal ~.
This governmental power has three d.
visions: Legislative, executive and judicial.
with constituted agency for its efficient
administration. To these agencies within
their respective limits the people have
given up all their authority. By these
agencies, such authority must be admins
tered from the very nature OF the case.
Mob violence Is deadly treason against
our government. which grants larger lib
erty to the individual, and protection to
lie liberty and property than other gov
ernments in the history of mankind. 1t
strikes a deadly blow at our cherished ideal
and governmental theory of mans capacity
for self government. The more deadly be-
cause 1t touches all the people. disarms
the poor and helpless. and turns them
over to brute force or despotism, Steadily
pursued. It means the death OF liberty
Mob law and anarchy delivered repub-
lican Greece to Philip Of Macedonia and
to his son, Alexander the Great. Sulla and
Marius made Caesar a possibility. Robes
pierre preceded Napoleon the First, who
became emperor because France was drunk
with blood shed by the mob and satiated
with the slaughter Of her best people. The
French revOlulon Is the highest historic
expression Of mob law No wonder the
people in the throes of national agony
cnose one tyrant in preference to the multi
tude
1.-THE claim that because courts In any
case refuse to railroad the criminal 10 the
gallows is an excuse fer brutal lynchins
is not worthy of consideration before In
telngent people. The murderers themselves.
and blatant demagogues who may nave IN
cited them to murder. may seek sucn ex-
cuse for their acts but they. like the os-
trich fleeing for shelter. only bury their
heads in the sand and leave the body OF
their sin exposed.
ANY court of justice that would listen
to the mob and suffer 1t to prescribe Its
methods, time and action should be abol-
ished as a mockery Of human justice.
The very fact that the people are mao
and frenZ1e0, ana {Lndt Inc IuoU - dt eho
door, calls for cooling time that reason
may resume her throne
Most emphatically. we say. the remedy
Is not in hasty and feverish action OF
courts of justice against the criminal
whose offense is the exciting cause.
Law has It's highest function In throw
ing it's shield of Protection before the
ignorant, the weak, and the helpless. and
was specially designed as q barrier
against temporary. madness. The more
hr1 ttal crime the DEGRADED ana
ignorant the criminal, the more wide
spread and tense the public rage. the more
imperative 1t is that courts of justice should
secure calm. just and fair hearing, and
that the guilt Of the accused be established:
otherwise, innocent men may be punished
for crime they did not commit, as in a
recent lynching of a negro In the south.
where 1t was found after his death that he
had not been within twenty miles OF the
scene of the outrage.
"When mob spirit rules, courts of JUS
tice should be unyieiding In their stand
for fair dealing otherwise they simply be-
come the mob and executors Of vengeance
and not Justice. The judges of Delaware
have no apology to make for not listening
to suggestions of mob vengeance in the
case of George White
ITO an Infatuated mob 1t matters little
what action the court may take. 1t has
| the scent of blood and seeks vengeance. In
| a late case In the south 1t took the offender
out of the hands of the sheriff while during
courthouse to the Jail.
I'VE are receiving from the old world
yearly large bodies of emigrants some OF
whom unfortunately have the widest no
lions of the extent of American freedom
to do as they please. Anarchy turks under
the pleasing garb of liberty. and the as
sassin clothes himself as defender of hui
man rights.
"Lawlessness Is our danger. Reverence
for the law and obedience to her mandates
Is our safety. A strong and masterful SEN
tment OF such obedience to law Is a sure
| cure for mObs. 1t cuts up the evil at the
root 1t furnishes a soil on which no law
lessness can flourish
mo order-loving citizen can afford to
encourage the mob spirit either before or
after deeds Of violence. There should be
no words of encouragement, no ostenta-
| tious offering of bail for such persons when
arrested. no fawning favor for the law
breaker. however much he may be pitied.
Il believe with United States Judge
Brewer that there is going to be a re-
action against the atrocfous crime with
| which the papers have been filed. The
| fact that the people are now interesting
| themselves in the discussion Of this prob
lem makes It manifest that there IS a ten
dency toward a change. I expect 1t will
come Soon.' -
Children in the Country.