The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1903-08-21
FRIDAY, AUGUST q. 1903.
LAWS DELAY CAUSE OF MOB
VIOLENCE


VIOLENCE
Associate Justice David G. Brewer,
of the supreme court Of the United
States, has contributed to Leslie's
Weekly an article on the crime of
Iynching, in the course of which he
says:
sour government recently forward
ed to Russia petition in respect to al
legged atrocities committed upon the
Jews. That government, as might
have been expected, unwilling to have
its internal affairs q matter Of consid-
Grafton by other governments, declined
to receive the petition. If, instead of
so doing, it had replied that it would
put stop to all such atrocities when
this government put stop to lynch
ings, what could We have said?
sit is we'll to look the matter fairly
In the face. Many good men join in
these uprisings, Mortified at the atroci-
ty of the crime and eager for swift and
summary punishment. OF course, they
violate the law themselves, but rely on
the public sentiment behind them for
escape from punishment. Many of
these lynchiDgs are accompanied by
the horrible barbarities of savage tor
ture and all that can be said in pallia-
ton is the atrOcity of the offeDse
which led up to them. For a time
they we're confined largely to the
south, but that section of the country
no longer has a monopoly. The chief
offense which causes those lynchings
has been the assault of white women
by cOIored men. No words can be
found too strong TO describe the
atrocity Of such q crime. 1t is no
wonder that the community is excited.
Men would disgrace their manhood if
they were not. And if a few lynchinRs
had put stop to the offense, society
might have cOndoned such breaches of
It's law but the fact is, if we may credit
the black beast, flor only beast would
be guilty Of such an ofense) seems to
me not deferred thereby. More than
that, as might be expected, lyDchiDR
for such strocious crimes is no longer
confined to them but is being resOrted
to for other Offenses.
"Wbat can be done to stay the cpl
demic of lynching? One thing is the
establishment of greater confidence
in the summary and certain punish.
ment of the criminal Men are afraid
of the laws delays an the uncertainty
of its results. Not that they doubt the
integrity Of the judges but they know
that the law abouuds in technical
rules, and that appellate courts will
often reverse q judgment Of conviction
for a disregard of such rules Dotwith
standing full belief in the guilt OF
the accused. IF all we're certain that
the guilty ones would be promptly
tried and punished, the iuducement t.
lynch would be largely taken away. In
an address which l delivered before
the American Bar association at De
doing away with the appeals in Grimm
al cases. It did not. meet the favol
of the association, but I still believt
in its wisdom. For nearly 100 year
there was no appeal from the judg
ment Of conviction Of criminal cases II
which, two judges sitting, q differences
of opinion on g question was certifie,
to the supreme court. In England tn
rule has been that there will be no ap
peal in criminal cases, although
- -
by the presiding judge for the consid
Grafton of his brethren. Hon. E. ]
Phelps, who was the minister to Eng
land during Mr.. Clevelsnd's first ad
ministrstiOn, once told me that Will
he was there only two cases were so re
versed. Does anyone doubt that Just
ice was fully administered by tn
English courts?
At can but think that if the commuu
ity felt that the criminal would Ger
tsinly receive the punishment he dc
serves and receive it soon, the eager
ness for lynching would disappear, an,
mobs, whose gatherings too often meal
not only the destruction OF jails an
other property but also the loss Of il
nOceBt lives, would greatly diminis
In lumber
@One thing is certain, the tendenc
Of Iynching is to undermine respeC
for the law and, unless it be ohecke
We need not be astoDished fit be +,
sorted to for all kinds Of Offenses, an
often times innocent men suffer e
wrongs committed BY Others"
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