The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-04-21
ONE PROVOCATION OF LYNCHING.
WASHINGTON Post.

Washington Post.
Those good people who bestow so much
of their solicitude upon the victims OF
lynch law and so little thought upon the
crimes which provoke the violence viii
| ind some food for reflection in the fol
lowing special dispatch to The Post, pub,
lished IL our cation OF Saturday morn
ing:
RALEIGH, N. c., April 15.--Attorney J.
Z. L. Harris, of Raleigh, has gone to
Washington to apply TO Associate Justic,
Harlan, of the United States Supreme
Court for a writ of error in tie case Of Al
fred Daniels, colored. under death sen
tence tor numbering the father of United
States Senator Simmons.
Harris bases his application upon the
ground that there was discrimination
against Daniels on account OF his RAGS
and that the commissioners of Jones coun-
ty, where he was tried, had no names
OF negroes in the jury box.
1t was a case of butal and Wanton mu!
der-tbe savage assassination of a kno
and inoffensiye gray haired gentlemai;.
The facts are enveloped in no cloud OF
mystery. There Is no doubt as to the
identity of the murderer or his wicked and
cruel purpose. But for Senator Simmons
Intervention on behalf of the blood-stained
wretch the latter would have been lynch
GU upou Ile SCeilS OI MS dDUOIIthI Cl tulS.
The Senator, however, stood between his
Fathers assassin and the fury OF the pop
ulace, appealing to temperance and rea.
son, invoking the spirit OF submission TO
the law, and pleading Tor order and civil
iZation. He prevailed over the passion
ate and violent inclmations of his neigh
| bors. Daniels was tried in due course,
and as we know, convicted and sentenced
in accordance with his crime. There
Cn,11l Noe hon, hot
mont or Massachusetts or even Pennsyl-
vania.
And now. by way OF discouraging adhef
ence to orderly judicial processes, and,
to the same extent, stimulating mob vlo-
lence, this attorney comes to Washington
seeking the delay if not the total denial
of justice. 1t Is not claimed that the az
cused is innocent or that his crime IS
open to the conformation of circumstance
The plea is that the jury was composed
exclusively Of white men! The false ara
impudent inference sought to be sug,
gested is of course, evident enough. It 10
that the Jury would have been more hon.
est and intelligent and virtuous had it
been constituted in part Or in whole of
negroes. And the underlying proposition
equally impudent and preposterous-is
that the negro, as such, has an inner
ent right to representation in the jury
boA. il1S itCSiOSS NcAi4EilaLl Win blttSl
moderation when law or custom dill
ferentiates them from the whites in tho
matter of social privileges. Now they
complain with equal bitterness because
the law does not treat them as a race
apart when it comes to the impancling OF
jurias!
We rass this silly and offensive Iesuc,
understanding. as we do. that the negro
has been encouraged to it by his own Ge
vouring vanity and the inceadiary advice
of so-caled leaders. what we wish TO
point out is the perilous folly Of discoIc
aging the law-abiding spirit and suggest
ing to the mob that the only way to
make sure Of punishment in case of crime
is to infict it then and there. There
will be-there can be-but one result CT
convincing any community that it cannot
depend for its protection upon the courts.