The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-11-28
ALL LYNCHINGS
To BE DEPLORED
SAYS REV. DR.. J. D. JORDAN
IN REPLY TO QUESTION ON THE
sTATEsBORO LYNCHING.

uO0 spirit OF Anarchy
and BnrBarism-M1jes and Dig
nifty of Law Must Be Sustained at
Any Price-MOst DepIOrabIe Eff
fects Come After Actual Lynching.
Men often Exhibit Spirit of Cow
ards Daring the investigation
Mob law and lynching. and the ac-
ton of the recent grand jury of the
Superior Court, were discussed last
night by Rev. DR.. John D. Jordan in
his sermon at the First Baptist
Church.
Both questions came up as a result
of the question box, which was opened
last night by the pastor. In reply to
the question, What do you think of
lynching and mob law as shown by the
Statesboro AFFAIR."" DR.. Jordan said:
"Lynchings and mob law are always
to be deplored. Mob violence, as best
exemplified by lynching, is wrong and
should be condemned by all good citi-
zens. The man who is always imbued
with their spirit is imbued with the
spirit of anarchy and barbarism and
not with the spirit of law. Beginning
with the one unnameabIe crime, lynch
ing has spread to other crimes, and
often men are lynched for the most
trivial offenses.
Lyncher a Murderer.
Though lynching is not confined to
the South, it's prevalence in this sec
ton of the country should lead South
erners to arouse themselves against it,
and do all in their power to put it
down.
The dignity and majesty of the law
must be sustained at any cost. If it is
not, the lives and property of no one
are safe from the violence of the mobs
which may form at any minute when
there is the slightest provocation.
The man who takes life under the
guise of mob law is a murderer. 1t
may be that the law itself, in due time
would have taken that life, but he who
takes life without due process of law
is inbued with the spirit of lawless-
ness, and is a murderer.
Lynching and COvvardice.
1.-The most deplorable feature of
1ynching comes after the actual lynch
ing. Under the excitement of the mo-
ment, smarting under the wrong that
has been committed against neigh
Dor or a neighbours family, man may
be carried away and, all enraged and
indignant, assist in a lynching. Later,
when the excitement has cooled down,
he may repent of his action. Repent
ance should follow all lynchings.
But when the lynching is over and
when the legal investigation sets in,
men too often appear unwilling to
stand forth and acknowledge their part
in it; When lying and perjury are
resorted to to evade the punishment for
the part they took in a lynching, men
appear as towards trying to evade the
law rather than as brave men trying
to uphold the law and protect them
selves and their neighbors from out
RACES"
Action of Grand Jury. ts1
In reply to the question, What do
you think of the action of the recent
grand jury in reference to the evil
dence presented to it by the Ministe-
rial Association" DR.. Jordan said:
I'm view of the evidence furnished
them think the action of the recent
grand jury was weak, wrong and in
defensfble. 1t is not the business. of
any grand juror to decide whether or
not man ought to be punished Grand
jurors are not lawmakers. The laws
are already made. 1t is not in the
province of the grand jury to even say
whether the laws violated are good
laws or bad laws. All they have to
determine is whether existing laws are
being violated, and if they find they
are. they should return true bill.
IF grand juror does not believe
an existing law should be enforced,
then he should ask to be excused from
duty, just as a petit juror in a murder
trial who does not believe in capital
punishment. This is the proper course
to pursue, and not to merely fail to
indict.
Showing Laws are Unwise.
1.-The refusal to indict cannot be ex-
cused on the ground that there are
many Violators of the law II a man
is shown to have violated the liouor
selling laws, the fact that there are
100 morc violating the same law is no
reason why an indictment should not
be returned. The fact that there are
fifty violating the gaming laws is no
reason why an indictment should not
be returned against one gambler. And
so with all the other laws.
II existing laws are unwise, the
surest way to show their unwisdom
is to enforce them. Prosecute all who
violate them and in time, If the laws
are unjust sentiment will arise that
will work for their repeal. That is the
PAOpCA SOuNot 10 rather Lnan a
failure to indict."
other Questions Discussed.
Among the other questions taken up
was whether hanging Is the proper
punishment for murder. The pastor
took the ground that 1t is, in some
cases, but should never be imposed in
cases made out on circumstantial evil
dence. Life Imprisonment, he claimed,
Is punishment sufficiently severe, and
it also gives the murderer opportunity
to repent of his sin before he meets
his God.
AS to the question regarding being
a Christian and a church member, Dr.
Jordan stated that Christ had not
made church membership a condition
of salvation. Faith Is the only thing
necessary to be saved. Yet, he said.
though Christianity is not dependent
on church membership. a man or won-
an can be better Christians in the
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