The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1903-07-03
CURRENT EVENTS.

Since the Webster case was af-
firmed by the Supreme Court the
local saloon people have given up
the fight. Col. John E. Wells, of
this city, one OF the brightest, best
and brainiest lawyers in Tennes-
see, championed the cause of the
temperance people and fought his
case to victory.
Attorney General Doc Caldwell
is being warmly congratulated by
the citizens of Obion county on
account of the able and fearless
fight made by him against vlolators
of the Adams law in his district.
He will do his whole duty every
time. He certainly gave He'll
bronner, the Memphis wet goods
man, "a run for his money"
BY the way, will some one
please pass States Attorney Gates
the law book. Just any old book
will do.
Union City is the home of the
Fourth of July. The day will be
celebrated in grand style. Ar,
rangements have been made for
all.
We know very little about the
Rev. DR.. W. A. Bartlett, of Chi
cago, except that he is pastor of
the First Congregational Church
of that city. But he preached
powerful sermon to his congrega-
ton last Sunday, and in one little
paragraph he shows that he knows
more about some things in one
minute than the accidental Presi-
dent of this great union could |
learn in a thousand years.
We agree with what this rever-
end gentleman says exactly. On
"Lynching From Another Point
of View," he said:
II am no advocate of lynching
or mob law, but | would rather
see a community wrought to the
highest pitch over crimes that
would seem impossible this side of
hell than to remain apathetic.
Il have seen so many sermons,
editorials and resolutions denounc-
ing lynching and mob law that
one gets the impression that the
citizens who hang or burn the de-
stroyer of life, home and all that
is held sacred by womanhood are
the real offenders rather than the l
monster whom they destroy. S
"We seem to be so absorbed :
with the majesty of this vague y
term law that the notion appears -
to prevail that the real criminals !
are those who do not wait for le- t
gal processes, and that the vio- t
lator of womanhood is the abused +
party. The murderer is to be .
dreaded in comparison with that q
invasion which brings not only t
death, but stain and dishonor. Il
The family bears the scars for a
generations. The community is n
soiled and shocked. A devouring -
wild beast would be welcome "
friend compared to such fend in c
human form.
eve shudder at the torture of n
the criminal who is burned, but {
apparently forget to shudder for
the innocent girl whose mental
and spiritual agony is tenfold
greater than that of the brute.
This is not race problem except Y
so far one race are the offenders.
The white man who commits the !;
crime is just as guilty. ;,
1.-The indignant uprising of l
community, and some of the best Q
in it, to avenge wrong of such V
awful magnitude may be counted a
1awless, but the spirit which causes b
the uprising is the reflection of a b
higher civilization. There are v
crimes so dreadful that the pure y
and the chivalrous and the strong = =
find it we'll nigh impossible to en- T
dure the thought that such a de-
generate should pollute the earth P
by his presence. 1t is easy to
theorize about the anarchy of mob h
law, but the same hand which E
penned the calm editorial might
be the first to grasp the torch if it
was his mother, wife or daughter
who was the victim e
81 say that when you look at a
IrY,1 ohfnos FROM onOtba1, ,oas-L "a