Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-08-19
CONDEMNS MOE LAW.
President Roosevelt Writes 20 Gov.
Durham of Indinna On Lynehing.

President Roosevelt Writes 20 Gov.
Durham of Indiana ON Lynching.
A letter written by President Roose-
Welt 10 Coy. Durbin of Indiana com
mending the action Of the Indiana execu-
tive in regard to lynehing and severely
condemning mob Law has been made pub
lie. The President says l%ynching is only
II form of anarchy and anarchy is the
handmaiden and f%orarunner of tyranny.
he says when atrocious crimes have been
committed justice should be swift aud
sure, thus taking away any excuse for
mob violence.
President Roosevelt says the growth of
lynching in this country is alarming. He
declares that atroeious crimes of colored
men are crimes against their own race
most of all and should be condemned by
their own race. He continues:
Men who have been guilty Of a crime
like rape or murder should be yidted
with swift and certain punishment and
the just effort made by the courts to pro-
tect them in their rights should under no
circumstances be perverted into permit
ting any mere technically TO avert or
delay their punishment. The substantial
rights Of the prisoner to a fair trial must,
of course, be guaranteed, as you lave so
justly insisted that they should be. but
subject to this guaransy. the law must
work swiftly and surely and all the
agents Of the law should realize the
wrong they do when they permit justice
to be delayed or thwarted for technical
or insufficient reasons. We must show
that the law is adequate to deal with
crime by freeing it from every yestige
of teehnicality and delay.
This matter of lyuching would be a
terrible thing even if stopped with the
lynching of men guilty Of the inhuman
and hideous crime of rape. but as n mat
ter of fact lawlessness Of this type never
does stop mad never can stop in such
fashion. Every violent man in the com
mpnIty is encouraged by every case of
lynching in which the lynchers go I'M
punished to himself take the law into his
own hands whenever it suits his own con-
v%enience. In the zane way the use Of
torture by the mob in certain cases Is
sure to spread until it is applied more
or less Unfortunately in other cases.
The spirit of lawlAssness grows with
what it feeds on ami when mobs with
impHLity lynch criminals for one cause
they are certain to begin TO lynch real
or alleged criminals for other causes.
Surely no patriot can fail to see the
fearful Capitalization and debasement
which the indulgence Of such a spirit and
such practices inevitably portends. Sure
~ all public men, all writer's for the daily
press, all c~lergymen, all teachers. all who
in any way have a right to address the
public. should with every energy unite
to support those engaged in putting them
down. AS a people we claim the right
to speak with peculiar emphasis for free
dom and for fair treatment Of all men
without regard TO differences Of race. for
tune, creed or color. We forfeit the right
to speak when we commit or condone
such crimes as these Of which | speak.
.'TIte nation, like the individual, can
not commit a crime with ~impunity. IL
we are guilty Of lawlessness aud brutal
violence. whether our guilt consists in
active paT icipation therein or in mere
conniyance and encouragement, we shall
assuredly suffer later on bee fuse Of what
we have done. The corner stone of this
republic. as Of all free governments, Is
respect fNr and obedience to the law.
Where we permit the law to be dehed,
or eyaded. whether by rich man or poor
man, By black man or white. We are by
just so much weakening the bonds Of
our civilization and increasing the
chances Of its overthrow and Of the sub
stitufion therefor Of \ system in which
there shall be violent alterations Of an
areAy mud %tyrannr."