The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1903-08-22

executed by the sheriff for all Of
lenses" This increase of lynch
ing the chief Justice traces to the
feeling of the people that fragrant
crimes should receive sure and
swift capital punishment, and a
distrust of the criminal law and
an administration of the criminal
law which in the past twelve
years has seen the number OF
murders in the state doubled,
while manslaughterhas increased
fourfold and other crimes sew
enty per cent. I'm trial for
any capital offense, apart from
other reasons, the mode of trial
prescribed by Legislation of itself
renders a conviction for murder
in the first degree almost an i'm.
possibility in North Cardinal
except in cases of sheer poison
ing or lying in wait, if the pris-
oner is able to obtain able and
skillful COUNSEL For, in an eff
fort to mitigate the barbarism Of
the common law, the Legislature
has gone on giving greater and
greater advantages to the defen-
dant, until now he has twenty
three peremptOry challenges,
while the state has but four.
Our statute law says murder
shall be punished with death. In
practice, in this state and some
others, the punishment is Ordin-
arily a fine paid by the accused
to his counsel as Il fee, and Il far
heavier fine paid by the law abid-
ing people for the costs Of the
useless trial" It is useless to
denounce lynchings, by statute
or otherwise, in any locality
where men in any considerable
number believe that in no other
way than by the fear of lynching
can grave crimes be prevented,
and that the fear of punishment
by law is too vague and indefinite
to deter men from the commits
ever increasing tide of crime
should be repressed in an or
derby and legal way, by the ad-
m1nistration of the law by the
courts. and resort to any other
mode is evil, and evil only
Thus the practical abolition OF
capital punishment in communi-
ties where popular sentiment re-
CARDS it as essential to repress
crime is one cause which fosters
lynchings.
Another cause is the delay in
bringing to trial and punishment
the perpetrators of fragrant Of
lenses. The famous twenty-n ninth
chapter of Magma Charta shows
that seven centuries ago our rude
fOrefathers ranked tardy add
ministratiOn of justice with it's
denial or it's malad ministratiOn.
Conditions have not altogether
changed, and instances in recent
years have illustrated that a con-
fidence that the courts would
deal out swift punishment to the
guilty is a strong deterrent to
the feeling which makes for
lynchings. To create strong
upon them the minds
of the people require that cause
and effect should be in close rela-
ton, and while a crime is yet
fresh in memory the punishment
of the guilty should follow. if it
is to have it's greatest effect as a
warming to other wrongdOers,
and as an illustration of abstract
justice.
The tendency to resort to
may be partially met
by a stern and swift enforcement
of the law, and by special legis-
lation directed against this evil,
such as the statutes which exist
in some states rendering the
comm unity or the sheriff liable
in damages in cases of lynching.
All these remedies deserve trial,
and each will contri butte it's quota
to render lynchings less numer-
Gus. AS to the lynching of ne
grOes, one thing is more impOr-
tant than all others. Can moral
be SO diffused in this
race that its bestial members
may be taught to shun that crime
Of crimes before whose perpetra-
ton all common sentiments of
order and humanity are lost in
feelings of outrage and desire
for vengeance: We frequently
hear it said that rape is the crime
for which negroes are lynched in
the south, and the suggestion |
tossed cOntemptuOusly aside |
when bare murders or lesser Of
lenses are revenged in the same
way Yet this is the crime for
which lynching originated and in
certain sections is lauded. Only |
the lessened respect for the legal
ad ADMINISTRATION of justice caused
by the lynching of ravishers
nolv, ~ Jyp.h;rr for Dfhor Nf