The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-09
VOICE OF PEOPLE
ON
ISSUES OFDAY

IL TISSUES OFDAY|
SPREAD OF LAWLEssNEss
The Rule of the Mob-"Tte Law
Has No Inherent Strength.
Editor Of The Tim Dispatch;
sir,--rhe Richmond Tlmes-D Dispatch Of
/ the 10th Of September had a brief but
very forcbe editorial, deplorlng tho
spread or lawlessness throughout the land,
and calling attention to a statement re-
Gently sent out from Chicago, TO the
effect that .'therc is d verltnble Sign Of
outlawry iii that city, and the cause OF 1t
| Is not hard to find, = The Times Dispatch
| then continues: l
Chicago Is famous for the number OF,
It's strikes and for the lawlessness o the
strikers and their sy1npath,aers 1nvari-
ably where there is a strike there Is a
reign Of terror. Tho law is openly de-
| fed. and II llas too open happened that
the policemen hlvo been in sympathy
with the strikers. Lawlessness begets
lawlessness? Each time there is open
con tempt Of law III any community tho
luwless element Is rallied, md with FREE
quent demonstrations Of this character
more aggressive. L
1.-THE law has no inherent strength. The
| law Is tho creation Of public sentiment
and unless It be sustained by public SEN
timent it will become q dead letter. rms
| is as true Of Chicago, New iArk and Bos-
ton as 1t is true of other cities and other
communities. These lawlcss demonstrn-
tons In tile various sections Of the
country arc disgrace to our civilza-
| ton, and tho time has come for law
abiding citizens III all sections 70 take
definite and decided action against the
| mob.
ut is no sectional question, and 1t III be-
comes the people Of one section 70 polnt
| the finger Of scorn at the people or am
other. Lawlessncss seems to be IN this
ago a rutional disease, as broad as tho
| United States, and we, as q nation, M U.s.
stamp it out or 1t will be our undoins. 3 \,
| It is truly startling declaration that
'lawlessness is in this age a national
disease, - but the deplorable fact stares
thoughtful people m the face. It Is seen
in the South, In the preparation OF one
form Of crime. the very mention Of which
reyolts and sickens the soul, and IN tho
punishment Of that crime BY violence
which scorns the pro cess OF courts ano
tho regular administration Of justice---2a
process and an administration TOO o. ten
slow. shutting and INADEQUATE.
tres Of the north and west. In outbreaks
OF organized labor, which, while refusing
the employment offered, will suffer none IN
others to work-nn organized labor TOO
often goaded to disturb ance and despera-
ton by grasping and cxac!ing capital:
It would look al first as II It were 1ar
to seek to go back forty-odd years TO nnd
the pestiferious germ when mas eAi,liue.'4
into this Upns tree Of lawlessnessi put I
believe that we can trace the beginning
IN the terrible civil war OF four years
between the two great sections OF thls
cou ntry. Men and women experienced
SO much, endured such prvatlon.. suffered
such sorrow and woe, that they SAID
one to another, = A ter this the deluge,"
ana became infected with q spirit Of reck-f
lessness. while familiarity wit hdeath en-
ctndcred callousness to all forms OF hui
man dstress-conditions Of mind which
| prevail, In some degree, to the present
| day. tI3 ts5.8 2
This unsettling OF mental and moral
eouilibrium showed itself at sfirstain COM
| ma rat lively unimportant thlngs--inaElndeL'I I
| ference to outward form and cereno ny,l
! and In a laxity Of conduct bordering III
license. The social observances and elab-
crate courtcsics Of old days. sometimes,
perhaps, too stiltshsfand artificial, were
swept aside, to give place to q freedom
OF department, which, though Innocent IN
intention. was harmful and de1noraIzlns
in effect. The sexes made a law unto
themselves, where, on the one hand, men
we're Familiarity addressed without the
titles which are at least the outward
scmblancc Of respect, and on the other
women were approa ci,ed without the def
ercnce#t that Is IN itself both homage ana
tribute. Think OF a dece1tlyE raised man
in the courty days Of Alexander Ii am
iltonS and Washington, or even When W X,
M n Hunter and j ohm r. GOodc wore,
in their prime in Virginia, sitting IN Il
IA rlor, or walking OH the street. with
q Well-bred woman, smoking q CIGAR OF
cigarette! Yet this looscncss Of behaving
ia SO common now that it proyokes no.
comment. And so this carelessncss o
demeanor permcnted all classes Of So
ciety. over widening and proclaiminE 1t
uselfEin boisternusness Mt public assem-
blages and political and other gatherings
until one may succnctly described 1t as
the Shirt sleeve" era. # u,
Yes, MI across this ''fin dc steele civ
/ ilzation tile spirit OF lawlessness2 has LETT
it's trail in the blood Of tho street rlot
ana the midnight murder OF lynch lnw
ana the family vendett ia. The other day,
fSwhcn the news reached Fayetteville.t
| that tho Wilmington Light. Infantry itad
! prevented the lynching OF the two ne
groes charged With the awful crime OF
| the assault and murder OF Mrs. Packer
at Clarkton, q prominent citizcn--a good,
nnble-hearted man, too exclaimed;
Il wish that company had been one
| hundred miles away. - 39
| And do you know, that man expressed
! tho feelings of my own heart, for wa s
| Just then Wishing the same thing. This
| is the spirit Of lawlessness--thern Is no
F---- ~
|