The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-08-22
NEGRO LYNCHING
SUGGESTED THEME
SERMON AT TRINITY CHURCH.
REV. A. NJ. WILLIAMS OBSERVA-
TIONS ON SPIRIT OF MOB LAW.

Present Time Will BE known to
History as "The Lynch Era''-EviIs
of Placing Transient Public Feel
ing Higher Than the LAW.
THE Lynch Era" was the theme of
Rev. DR.. A. NJ. Williams at Trinity
Methodist Church last night. The
subject was suggested by the recent
events at Statesboro. A large congre-
cation heard DR.. Williams.
He chose for his text Luke 1881:
For if they do these things in a green
tree, what shall they do in a dry?"
DR.. Williams said in part:
THE text is a graphic aphorism-a
sententious putting a principle in fig
urative form. Reduced to direct Ian
guage the proposition is: Iniquity
among the favored classes will repro
duce itself in revolving wickedness
among the less fortunates. 1t sug-
gests a study of the sad events of last
week in relation to broader current
tendencies.
The crime of the negroes is so
blood-curdling that it should not
dwell in the mind any longer than full
sympathy for the friends of the victims
and adequate legal punishment of the
perpetrators demand.
The tragic end of the trial deserves
a few clear words Every man in his
place is under obligation to support
organized society, constituted author
ity and legal process. Every good citi-
zen, therefore, must deplore the terri
BILE occurrence. All the arguments
against lynching are illustrated in this
affair. The fair name of the section
and state is stained. The confidence in
the efficiency in government is shock
ed. Faith in the good judgment and
self-control of the common people is
weakened. The effect on the partici-
pants is lamentabe.
Eternal Scars on Souls.
THE mean victims suffered less than
these men will. A few moments and
their fearful agony is over, but a per-
son cannot take part in a lawless, an
inhuman, an atrocious tragedy, even
as an eye witness, without leaving an
eternal scar on the soul.
These horrible details will be WOW
en- into the very retina of the eye, re-
verberated perpetually in the ear, fas-
LCllCd III POilltSQ Oll Tic I'LL
agination, burned into the conscience
for the remainder of their natural
lives. One account notes the presence
of boys in knee pants. What a fearful
education! The hellish effects will tell
on their characters in ways past dis
coverY.
Its immediate effects also show the
wickedness of mob law. Two guiltless
negroes already slain while others
I,Yr ka0 To- rI1e-
reigns the innocent suffer, as well
as the guilty. Then add the democrat
ization of business and you recognize
how prompt the evils of the lynch rule
follow on its adoption.
What Caused FaiIures
Placing the responsibility for the
failure in government is not a gra-
cious undertaking. 1t is clear the
civil power of the state, supported by
the military, was not effective in vim
dicating the supremacy of law, and
order. Suspicion of a lack of deter
mination to demonstrate the sufficiency
of constituted authority will arise.
1.-TWO views OF the danger were
clearly put before the Governor. He
seems to have acted in the more hope
full, and treated the affair as COM
paratively trivial. Evidence and view
so conflict, at Statesboro, that all we
can safely say, is that the conbin-
ed civil and military authorities fail
ed in unfolding the law of the state
Let us turn to a broader study
of this event. Look at it as a type
| representing tendencies of our times
Geology marks the stages of develop
ment with descriptive peculiarities, as
the glacial PERIOD the stoneage. ,
History, also denoninates sections of
human experience by epithets or
names of distinguished rulers. In lit
erature, we have the Elizabethan era
the Victorian era In industry. the
pastoral era and the commercial
age
"The Lynch Era"
''The future historian regarding our
day in its relation to law can rightfully
term it the lynch era of American his
tory. The substitution of popular de-
mand for conformity to previously fixed
rule of action is the essence of the
! lynch practice. The spirit of the times
| is to relegate law, its studied princi-
pies, its public sanctions to the preju-
| dices, the prepossessions, the whims of
the unorganized people. This is the
rule of the mob or lynch law.
1T takes two very opposite direc-
tions-violence when public opinion be-
comes angry pushing aside all legal
form; laxity when public sentiment
seeks indulgence, pushing aside all le-
gal exactions.
while the two directions seem dis
tinctly opposite, they are really mani
festations Of the same evil. One is &C.
casionally, attracting the attention of
the world to the helplessness of govern
ment. The other is constant, regular.
subtle. concealing its enormity. Mayors
declare it as policy in administration,
chiefs predicate apologies on il for their
failures in detecting crime. Solicitors
| adopt 1t as automatic in handling their
offices.
Jurors vindicate refusal to indict
on such grounds. In the meantime.
law is a plaYthing."
Gambling and whisky.
Gambling brings ruin to husbands
and sons, want to children, defalcation
to employees. feuds and duels in dens.
suicide outside, and homocide inside
The mob says let the bad work go on
Whisky, specially Sunday whisky.
brings woe and heartache in countless
homes, broils and crimes in many re-
sorts, death and degradation to its
hundreds The mob says let ruin
work on-leaders make money and the
crowd bows TO money no matter how
Wiley got.
Sunday dissertation prevails. con-
science is startled God eliminated
The mob laughs as the preacher
pleads-his warning is as a voice in
the wilderness Note the proposition
This evil belongs 20 the same category
as the lynch. The doctrine that public
sentiment can be relied on as an in
fallible guide In morals is the sad