Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1903-08-12

justice to be delayed or thwartcd for
technical or insufficient reasons. we
must show that the law is adequate
To deal with crime by freeing it from
every vestigc of teChniCality and de
lay
But the fullest recognition of tho
horror Of the crime and the most com
plete lack Of sympathy with the crimi-
nal cannot. in the least diminish our
horror - the way in which il ms he
come customary to aVCnge these
crimes ard at the consequences that
are alrcIdy proceeding thorefrom. Ii
is. OF course. inevitable that where
vengeance is taken by mob it should
frequently light on innocent people.
and the wrong done in such case to
the individual is ono for which there
is no remedy But even where the
real criminal is reached the wrong
done by the mob to the community it
self is well-nigh as great. Especially
IS this true where the lynching is &c
companied with torture. There are
certain hideous sights which once
:, On can never he wholly erased from
the mental r2tina. The mere fact o.
having seen them implies dcgradatiop.
This is thousand fold stronger when.
instead OF merely seeing the deed. the
fS1nan has participated in it. Whoever
In any part of our country has ever
taken part in lawlessly putting to
death criminal by the dreadful tor
u.re Of FIRE. must forever after have
The awful spectacle Of his own hand
EHoTl; scared into his brain and soul.
tie can never again be the same man.
This matte O! lynchins would be :,
terrible thing even if il stopped with
NRh n IN Nf ,r,,fi t.,
human and hideCus crime OF rape:
but as a matter of fact lawlcssnoss OF
this type never docs stop ana never
can stop in such fashion. Every Vio-
lent man in the community is en-
cCuragod by every case of lynChinG in
which ;he lynyhcrs 20 UNPUBLISHED to
himself take the Law into his own
E"nfs whenever ii suits his own con
vcnicnce. II tho SAME way the use OF
tC:turc by the mob in certain cases is
sure 10 spread until it is applied more
Ci less .ndisc"ir3ina;ely IN ether cases.
TIC spirit OF lawiessneSs grows with
what ii feeds on. and whcH M~hs with
immunity ly1ch criminals for one
coVse. they are certain 20 bogin a
lynch real or alleged criminals Tor
ether crls,s. In thc recent cases OF
| lynchirs 0ror thrce-tcUrths were not
| tempted murder and even less nein0Us
cTens1s. Morcovcr. the history of
these recent cases shows the awful
fact thai when the minds Of men are
| habituated to the use OF torture by
| lawlCsS bodies TO avcnGO crimes OF n
peculiarly revolving description other
l9Nlcss bciics Will Use force to ac-
complish crimes &C an ordinary type.
Surely no patriot can fail TO see the
fearful brutalization and dabasemcnt
Uhich the Indulgence OF such 4 spirit
and such practices inevitably pOrtend.
| Surely all public men. all writer's fo.
The daily press. all clcrgymen, all
teachers, all who in any way have n
right to address the public should with
every energy unite TO dencunce such
crimes and to support those engaged
in putting them down. As a people
we claim the lisAt to speak with pc
culiar emphasis for freedom and for
fair treatment of all men without re-
gard to differences OF race, fortune.
creed or color. We forfeit the right
20 speak when we commit or cCndone
such crimes rs these OF which | speak.
The nation. like the individual. can
NOT commit crime with impunity. If
VIC are guilty Of lawlo osSpess and brutal
violence. whether our guilt consist in
active participation therein. or in
| mere connivance and encouragement
we shall assurcdly suffer later on be-
cause Of what we have done. The cor
re,-stone of this republic. as OF all
free governments. is respect for and
obedience of the law. Where we per-
nit the law 10 be defied or evaded.
whether by rich man or poor man.
by black man or white we are by just
So much weakening the bonds of cur
civilization and increasing the chances
90 its overthrow and of the substitu-
ton therefor of a system in which
there shall be violent altcrnations of
anarchy and tyranny.
Sincerely yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Hon Winfield r. Durbin.
Governor OF Indiana.
"IndianapOliS Indiana"