Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-08-18
MOB OUTRAGE.

The burning at the stake OF two ne
groes In Georgia IL one of the most
yillaInous outrages OF the kind, on re-
cord. II is generally alleged by the
apologists for mob murder IN this coun-
Try that the laws delay. and the un-
certainty OF the results Of trials Justify
the mob In taking revenge according to
the manner of cahnlbas and hpld-
hunters; but In this instance even that
poor excuse Is out Of the question, The
men were speedily convicted. Full jus-
tice would have been done. Moreover,
the testimony Of the convicted mon
was needed for the conviction Of others
supposed to be implicated, and the ac-
tion Of the mrderous mob prevented
perhaps the course Of Justice TO that
extent. And clearly, the mob IL not
alone responsible for thla outrage upon
Justice. The officers were evidently
acting with the mob. The fight put
up hy the guards was o sham, and the
soldiers % course acted under orders.
Every Circumstance connected with
the crime shows that II was cold-bood-
ed murder
II is no excuse for Il 10 say that the
victims deserved H. or that common
hanging was too good for them" No
protests need to be raised I'm behalf Of
the criminals, although in a civilized
community not entirely ignorant OF the
teachings OF christ humanity should
prevail even In the execution OF the
Just demands Of law. Else, what does
civilization mean? But we need not
consider that side Of the question.
There Is another Of vastly greater linz
rortance. And that is the effect Of
such acts upon those who participate in
them, and upon the community In
which they take place. Acts of love,
mercy, kindness continually repeated
have a refining and ennoblng influence
upon individuals and society. In fact,
there is no other way Of forming a good
character except by continuance IN
wel.dolng. The contrary OF this pro-
position is also true, Acts OF savagery
leave their marks on human character.
They are menace TO our civil
cation, and all the more so, because
easy Is the descent TO Ayernus.' It
is, then, the community that must be
protected against the mobs that by
their barbarous acts threaten to coun-
teract all the efforts Of government.
schools, and churches, for which cltl-
zens are paying 50 enormously. The
question is not one Of sympathy for
criminals nor Is It merely race ques-
tom it Is one Of defense Of civilized In
stltutions--of self-defensc Mobs must
be suppressed, or the state will perish.
Georgia can atone for the crime com
mitted on IT'S soil, only by bringing the
murderers to swift justice, 1t owes
this duty to itself and to the country
of which 1t is a part win It do It's
duty?
1t sometimes appears as If the only
remedy for the lynchng outrages that
stain the American soil, Is federal in
reference. officials that depend on
their friends for votes, too often are
towards when the question Is OF facing
mobs composed ofivoters. And go law,
justice, decency humanity, all are
sacrificed and abandoned, TO be pol
luted by wild beasts in human form.
Federal interference may not be desir.
able, but between two evils, the lesser
IL preferable, and II the choice is be.
tween federal rule and mob rule there
can be no hesitation In preferring the
former.