Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-08-13
LyNCH|NC EVIL
Vigorous Letter by President
Roosevelt Condemning DAN
gerous Practice.
PRAISES COY. DURBlN
His Recent Action In Reference to
Jyncbing Cere- ~Ommcndable
the TOrcrun ,cr of Tyranny
Prompt Punishment.

Oyster Bay, N. Y, Aug. 9.-In a letter,
the publication of which was authorized
to-day, President Roosevelt commendS
Governor Durbin, of Indiana, for the
attitude he assumed recently respecting
lynchlng. the President also embraces
the opportunity to express his " views
in reference to lynching and mob Tlo-
lencc, generally, pointing out that MOB
violence is merely one form OF anarchy
and that anarchy is the forerunner OF
tyranny. The President vigorously urges
that the penalty for that crime winch
most frequently induces a resort 10
lynching shalt be applied swiftly and
surely, but by due process of tho courts
so that it may be demonstrate mat the
law is adequate to deal with crime by
freeing it from every Vestigc OF tcchhl-
cality and delay
President RooscVelt's letter in part TO
Governor Durhin follows.
oyster Bay, y. y, Aug 6, 1908.
Ny Dear Governor Durhin:- Permit me
to thank you as an American citizen Tor
the admirable way I'm which YOU lave
indicated the majesty of the law BY
your recent action II reference to lynch
ing. | feel, my dear sir. that you have
made all men your debtors who believe,
as all far-seeing men must, that the well
being, indeed the very existence, OF inc
republic depends upon that spirit OF
orderly liberty under the law which iS
as ln|Cpnnpatlble WIN Hl"p NloIe'S' 40
with any form of dosp"tISin' u course
mob violence is simply one form of
anarchy; and anarchy is now, as IT al
ways has been, the hand maiden and fore
runner Of tyranny
All thoughtful men must feel the gray
est alarm over the growth OF lynchlhs IN
this country, and especially over the pc
c|uliarly hidcous forms 50 often taken
by mob violence when colorod men are
the victims-on which occasions the mob
seems to lay most weight. not ON the
crime, but on the color Of the criminal.
In a certain prOportlou of these cases
the man lNuChcd has been guilty of a
crime horrible beyond Descriptions; a
crime so horrible that as far as he him
self is concerned he has forfeited the
right to any kind of sympathy whatso-
ever. The feeling of all good citizens
that such a hideOus crime shall not be
hidcously punished by mob violence is
due not in the least to sympathy for the
criminal but to Il very lively sense of
the train of dreadful consequence which
follow the course taken by the mob IN
eXacting inhuman vengeance for an in
human wrong. In such cases. moreover
it is well TO remember that the criminal
not merely sins against humanity in in
expiable and objectionable fashion, but
sins particularly against his own race,
and does them a wrong far greater thar
any white man can possibly do them,
Therefore, in such cases the colorcd PEG
pie throughout the land should in every
possible way show thoir belief that they
more than all others in the community
are Mortified at tho commission Of such a
crime and are peculiarly concerned in
akinG every possible measure tn prevent
its recurrence and to bring the criminal
to immediate justice. The slightest lach
OF NlGor oljler IN donUncl1tlon OF the