The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-03-11
An Ethical View of Lynchine.

prevalence of lynching" aud the
growth of the mob spirit" in this
country, some quite distinct factors have
entered and have helped to obscure the
real aud most vital issue.
To the ultra conservatives Of every
section, whose sole idea Of virtue is
bound up in forms and precedents, tol-
erance of lynching for any cause means
the overthrow of law and order, and the
swift coming of anarchy
To the phobists-inasmuch as
The records show more blacks than
whites )yDcheG-it means continued and
aggravated persecution of the imam and
brother" To few rairow souls who
can not forgive or forget the incidents of
'6l and '65, the cry against lynching
means condemnation of the South
Though recent happenings in northern
citit have largely depriced these Of their
argument.
And what is it the anti-lynching
apostles demand? That the rapist shall
enj y the right accorded every other snrt
OF criminal in this country TO All im-
partial trial by jury. And does the
average person realiz, what this fair
trial" for the rapist would mean? 1t
means that his victim. if she be alive.
must confront him in the couris-as, in
the case of rape, the victim is usually
the only witness. Ii the trial be any
thing but farce, attorneys for the de-
fen.e must be provided, (think of i'm
posing upon any self-respectipg lawyer
The task of defending such bruteD, aud
| under the law the witness must be sub
Jected to minute and humiliating cross
examination. Can it be possible in free
ha rp,n ~ A l. L
will demand or Will permit such indc-
Dity to a pure woman? TIE practical
upanimity OF mob.action for the zone
terrible crime" whenever it occurs from
Maine 10 Texas, would seem to furnish
the most direct and truest answer to this
question.
Yet the opposing voice of Sd many
| editors governors and other high officials
is confusing to mary who NAV not have
| observed that the human animal grows
p!atitudious in its udied utteraunes:
that simple, straightforward, fearless
truth-telling is one of the rarest qualities
either of public speaking or public writ
ing, Persons who will express them.
selves frankly and honestly when inter
rcgated in private, if asked to frame a
public deliyerance upon the same sub
jsct, will use only such language as th+ v
deem acceptable to the majority. They
are afraid Of the bad effects'' of speak
ing the truth, and so they take refuge in
cant
1t is the fashion just now to inveish
against the mod spirit.n A leadiup
Review of current topics is befora me,
Municipal corruption on gigantic scale,
the Postal scandal, frauds in army con-
tracts, the progress of the negro race in
this country, are all touched upon in
mild and optimistic terms. An the
severity in the editorial pen is reserved
for the lynchers One might readily
suppose that the only danger which bodr.
much harm TO the nation at present. i,
thegenerous wrath aroused by woman.
wrongs! 1t is not surprising therefore
that the one man in the Chat4uuna Noh
Conference who had the courage to stat,
the case squarely, and p -occlaim the biz
ter truth, should have become the in
stand target for the armv of time ,servin.
scribblers who fondly imagiue they ar
backed by an overwhelming public senti
mentl
I have taken the trouble to SOM,
''public sentiment' for myself on thi
, phase of mob violence. have talked
with persons of various callings. condi
: tiOns and degrees of intelligence. M
interrogatories have included men an,
women of every variety, of every 40
and temperament. Farmers, merchants
bankers, doctors, lawyers and minister
of the gospel; young men, mature mel
and men of seventy, while deprecatir.
) the necessity of opposing The laws al
agree without dissenting voice: "Tber
is no other punishment for the rapist
, 1t is the sheerest nonsense to saw tina
the impulse to this kind of yenpenc
comes from the ignorant and vicious ele
ments In a community. These element
are doubles, present in the mcb-as the,
, are In every assemblage Of human unit
! collected for the most just and holy war
but they are not the moving spirit of il
Officers of the law do not stand idle anl
pOwerless before the excuses of "tb
ignorant and vicious"
ThecommeDt of prominent Nortber,
journal on the Delaware incident is suf
ticient: Nothing could have been NOR
public than the action of the mob: We
only one arrest was made and this allie get
rioter was released at the instance of ;
mod twice as large as the one which hat
lynched the negro. 1t is not though
likely that there will be any attemp
whatever, made to punish any body con
cerned in the lynchiog Delaware is |
small state, the militia can in few
hours be moved from any part of it t,
any gv.n point, AID it would seem as j
the exercise of ordinary vIgor in the in
terest of public peace by those charged
with the keeping Of order, might readiI,
have prevented this fresh disgrace" RI,
who runs may read. Could this hay
, been the case "a not Delaware official
, and DelewHie public sentiment been il
sympathy with the purpose if not th
methods Of the lynchers9
The real truth about it is that there i
no stronger moral nor physical force il
the Republic than the body of determines