The Savannah morning news., 1903-08-17

ularly fitting to speak of crime and its
punishment. Among other things
which had brought the matter before
the attention of the public was the
conference on mob law which is being
held in New York. and the widespread
attention which has been attracted by
the whipping of Mamie DeCris.
He dismissed the latter case by say
ing that the laws and those who had
made them, were at fault if there was
any blame to be attached to the one
who had administered the corporal pun
ishment. He then took up the convict
system and the principal of leasing the
convicts which holds in this state, char
acterizing it as a disgrace, on the
ground that crime is a public offense
and that When the criminal is turned
over to the individual for punishment
that the public is being deprived of its
rights, the right of Furnishing the man
who sinned against it.
Punishment of Crime.
He then took up the object of pun
ishing crime, stating that the purpose
of punishment was to correct and re-
form the criminal. Crime is moral
microbe that infects the social being,
and punishment is the germicide which
should be used to stamp out the mi
crobe Crime is worked against by
law of prevention which seeks to stamp
II out before it can grow to strength;
and if these preventative laws were
enforced strictly and faithfully and
swiftly, then a great percentage of the
grosser crimes would be stamped out.
The efficiency of any punishment de-
ponds first upon the certainty of it.
II there were greater chances of con-
committed; people would take fewer
chances if the chances of escaping
were lessened. The second point upon
which the efficiency of punishment de-
ponds is the impartiality of its admin
istration, and, thirdly and lastly, its
efficiency is in a great measure due to
it's adaptability to the crime for which
il is administered. 1t was under this
latter head, the adaptation to the crime
the question of mob law and lynchings.
Among other things, he said:
The Lynch Problem.
LET us discuss for awhile the great
est question that is confronting the
American people. and that is what we
may call the lynch problem The
problem has been much discussed, but
still the crime goes on Lynching pro-
duces lawlessness and is spread even
beyond it's own limits. If it becomes
prevalent the innocent are likely to
suffer
"Lynching is generally inflicted for
one crime only, the great crime. the
crime that makes mems souls revolt,
crime that is treason against the
very foundation of society. So l be-
lieve we should discriminate against
that one crime, to isolate it from all
other crimes. In other words, to legal
lie lynching for that one great crime.
Let the lawmakers of society recog-
nize this crime as one which is so
great that it cannot be given the usual
process of law. Let them recognize
that that crime is one, not against the
individual, but against the very roots
OF society. Let the lawmakers reeog
nixe that nobieness of that indignation
which springs up in the human breast
when that terrible crime is commit
ted and which impels men TO meet out
punishment swift, sure and fitting
the Indignation in their breasts"
Danger in Lack of Identification.
In conclusion, Mr. Williams called
attention to the fact that the great
danger was that the identification would
not be complete and that Innocent par
ties might be made TO suffer but In
most cases the methods OF identifica-
ton we're comparatively sure. He spoke
also Of the. benefits OF education, lay
ing particular stress upon the fact
that by the proper methods OF train
ing, BY exercising great patience, and