The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-08-26
ROOSEVELT BACKS
LYNCHING AS RIGHT
BAILEY QUOTES PRESIDENT
TO PROVE THE VIEWS HE ENTER
TANNED IN THE WEST,

Democratic Campaign in Brooklyn
Opened-BaiIey of Texas Made II
Speech-Discussed Roosevelt ana
His Views on Social Equality and
Lynching-ROOseveIt All Right as
IA Soldier, but All Wrong as Pres
ident.
New York, Aug. 25-The campaign
in Brooklyn was opened tonight by
meeting held under the auspices
of the Kings County Democratic Club,
at which Senator Joseph w Bailey of
Texas was the principal speaker Reso-
lutions indorsing the nomination of
Parker and Davis were read, and aft
er an Introductory address, in which
he reviewed the political situation.
Edward M. Shepard, chairman of the
meeting, introduced Senator Bailey,
who was greeted with prolonged APP
plause. He said in part:
Social Equality Doctrine.
Not content with having nominated
a candidate who had taught by his
personal example the pernicious doc
trine of social equality between the
the Republican party has gone still
further and as if bent upon the mis-
chievous design of aggravating racial
antagonism, 1t has deliberately pro-
ceeded to express it's intention to re-
duce the representation of certain
states In Congress and in the Elec-
toral Colleges because the people of
those states will not consent to be
represented by ignorant and inferior
men. Do the men who made and
adopted that platform know that if
their threat should be carried into
execution the South would not be the
only sufferer? Do these men not
know that this country is so closely
| and so firmly knit together that the
whole must suffer from every injury
inflicted on any part? The millions
invested in Southern railroads are
practically all, except the foreign hold
ing, the property of Northern and
Eastern men.
But there is another and a higher
standpoint. This attempt to resurrect
sectional differences is in painful con-
trast with the teachings of that great
and kindly man who was elevated to
the presidency by an election and not
by a tragic act. AS this nation stood
! with uncovered head around the mar
| tyred McKinley's grave men Of every
! section blessed his name and memory
because he had restored good will be-
| tween the brothers who had been
| estranged by a civil war. The sor-
! row over his untimely death was uni
versal and genuine in Mississippi as
| ii was in Massachusetts. And yet
| his successor who promised to follow
! in Mr.. MeKinley's footsteps, has re-
versed McKinley's policy and is now
fomenting discord where Mckinley had
brought us peace.
Ills Advocacy of Lynch Law.
THE race problem which now con-
fronts the Southern people will tax
their highest wisdom and their most
unselfish patriotism in its solution. Ex-
cept for a single and nameless crime
against the women of our land, there is
no thoughtful man in all the South
who does not deprecate lynch law, or
who doubts that 1t must and will be
suppressed.
IF, however. there are amongst US
men who justify the lawless spirit
which sometimes expresses itself in a
public lynching they could not find in
all the range of English literature,
more pointed and complete defense of
such conduct than has been furnished
by the Republican candidate for the
presidency in his work, Ranch Life
and Hunting Trail in which there IS
the following:
During the last two or three years
men have united to put down all these
dangerous characters, often by the
most summary exercise of lynch law.
Bands of horse and cattle
thieves have been regularly hunted
down and destroyed in pitched fights
by parties of armed cowboys, and as a
consequence most of our territory is
perfectly law-abiding.'
1.-The President, as if relating COM
monplace incident, adds this mild
statement:
"a little over two years ago one
committee of vigilantes in Montana
shot or hung nearly sixty-not, how
ever with the best judgment in al,
cases.
soldier, but Not Statesman.
"I rejoice to know, whatever may
have been done or said in the Southern
states. which thoughtful men cannot
indorse II has never happened among
us that any man with intelligence
enough to write a book or with char
acter enough to command an election
to an important office has ever justified
Iynching as a punishment for theft
They tell us that the President is
honest. Let us grant il. but let US
remember that he is as erratic as he
is honest. They tell us that the Pres
ident is brave, and so he is. but he
is as rash as he is brave. If we
were seeking a soldier, / would pre-
fer the President over almost any other
man now in public life, but as we are
seeking a statesman, / would prefer
almost any man now in public life over
the President. He would be one OF
the best men TO lead a desperate charge
in a time of war; but he is one OF
the worst men to administer a great
government I'm a time Of peace. | do
not under-value the soldier whose cour-
age or ambition carries him TO glory
or 10 death. While such men are more
useful under other forms Of govern
ment they are useful under ours. They
are not so useful. however, as those
other men who have the frmness and
self-restraint, when clothed with the
power, TO obey the laws, to obey them
as they have been written resolutely
refusing 10 violate their letter under
the old and dangerous pretense OF pre-
serving their spirit
At the conclusion of Senator Bailey's
address a reception was held in the
t.ats aIaraa 90 iii.