Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-09
nh. Presidents Endorsement.

President Roosevelt sounds note III HIS
Endorsement on the application for the coi'i
mutation of the sentence OF dea'i paa'eu
unon n negro rapist in this Disliict 'n
will awaken hearty echoes Vi appio'"
wherever it is heard. He advances t"o '
assailable propositions-first, that the piea
of insanity in such crimes Is odhsei'
one to be stoutly resisted for the safety y.
tho community: second. that this especiai
crime when clearly proved, as In the pres
emf case. must be swiftly and severely pun
ished by the regular processes OF law II the
equally grave crime of lynching is 10 pe
checked in this country.
The plea of insanity in capital cases ~
always a confession of the guilt of commits
sion The President aptly says or TINS man
Burnley:
Nobody would pretend that there has
been any such degree or menlal u.isou In
ness shown as would make people even con,
slider sending him to an asylum IL ne hao
not committed this crime
Here is the very center of the thought
which bears directly upon this issue OF the
insanity plea 1t is the vital test. The sud-
den discovery, after the commission OF
hcinous crime. of signs of mental unsound-
ness on the part of the criminal occurs 100
often in cases of absolutely certain guilt to
be regarded as otherwise than device OIL
the defense The slayer or the rapist has
never before displayed even suggestive
symptoms. 1t is never difficult, however
to gather testimony to his eccentricities
Who does not show them? The sanest per-
son in the world sooner or later in life acts
peculiarly at least in the eyes of strangers
No one ever quite fully enters into the
mind of another. No one ever perfectly
understands every motive for an action
Not even the most simple. transparent char
acter is comprehensive in every detail and
phase to all others. Thus the man of low
type of criminal instincts, of british ten
denotes. will leave a long record of words
and acts which. interpreted in the light of
some criminal deed. will be susceptible
after the fact-of Interpretation in terms of
insanity If courts and juries will accept the
offered testimony. 1t is never Impossible
to raise this suggestion.
The ease with which the insanity plea
can be advanced and in some measure APP
parently sustained warrants the utmost care
in discrimina ting even against the defend
ant in such cases where the alleged insan-
ity is suddenly developed and not dscov
cred until after the deed. The President
voices this need of caution with admirable
force
AS to the need of promptness in dealing
with this particular crime. Mr.. Roosevelt
has gone to the heart of the case of the
mob and it's awful work. If the courts were
always prepared, in every section, to sit
Immediately to hear, in full and proper
form, such charges as these. and with all
dispatch compatible with the dignity of the
law administer the deserved punishment for
all proved crimes. the chief argument of
the lynchers in defense of their course
would fall to the ground. THE laws de-
| lays would then have terrors. real or
alleged. for a sensitive community. Then
! the crime of equal infamy" would stand
unsupported even by this alleged excuse.