The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1904-11-05

From the earliest period in Amer
can history down to the present
time, the writer has failed to mott
wherein any other President Of thu
United States aside from Presideni
Roosevelt who thoroughly believe
that in many cases, mob and Lynch
law is healthy for the community
and who advocates or is in favor o!
speedy justice.
In Col. Roosevelts works entitled
'aThe Winning of the West, Vol. 1
page 1872, it is asserted by the Rough
iRiding President, that "In many Of
the cases of lynch law which have
come to my knowledge, the effect hai
been healthy for the community
Here is a President who believes Ii
the worst form lawlessness, which
can fasten itself upon the people
a form which has brought untold
agony and misery on the Negro.
A
Notwithstanding this fact, Col
Roosevelt is thoroughly inoculated
with the idea, that without the Least
questioning every Afro-Americar
should bow down and worship at hi
feet and instead of him countenanc'
ing mob and lynch law in the slight,
est degree, he should sternlX set hii
face against it.
Col. Roosevelt has within the pas
year caught up many ignorant Afro
Americans in the froth and foam Of
| his letter to Gov. Durbin of Indi'
ana, on 'NThe Evil Effects of Mol
and Lynch Law" which he approves
of in his works quoted. In thai
letter, he Enthusiastically begged the
question, by contending for speedy
Justice or a speedy trial for the indi'
vidual who iss accused of commit,
| ing the nameless crime.
Recently in refusing to interfere
in the court sentence of John w
Burley, a Negro, who was confined
| in the Jail of the District of Column
Ibia, convicted for assaulting a LITTLE
girl, the President assumed the po'
ls;tion, that in all such cases swift
Justice is important and that thu
claws delay fosters the lynchini
Ispirit.". He therefore refused t.
consider the application for commu
tation of Burley's death sentence t.
life Imprisonment, on the ground
that he was not insane but was ii
the full possession of all his reason
ling faculties, although no one hai
ever heard of Col. Roosevelt recelv
ing a diploma from any medical col
Ilege as an expert on the mental con
clifton of the minds of those whc
are accused or convicted for commit
ting crimes.
There is not the slightest DISPOSE
ton on our part to question the RICH
of the President not to interfere IL
behalf of Burley, but we do objec
to him in endeavoring to convey tn
impression that the Negro i
more prone to commit tn
lcrime of rape than men of other ma
ltionalities, which is untrue, and
which is as false as hell itself, TO
levery year more than one hundred
| Colored men, women and children
are mobbed and lynched, and com
paratively only a few of thes
victims who are constantly beint
slaughtered on the altar of race pre-
ljudice, have ever been charged witt
committing the crime of rape, AMI
the President should possess sens
enough to be conversant with thes
facts.
In his former letters respecting
lmob and lynch law and speedy jus
Itice, he strongly intimated that 9Th
Negroes should transform themselve
Into blood-hounds and assist to rul
down all the criminals belonging t.
the race" But it never occurred u
the President that the Negro pay
ldirect and indirect taxes for tn
purpose of maintaining white Off
Gals to execute the laws of the land
land it is not incumbent upon tn
Negro to neglect his own bushes
lin order to perform the sworn du
lties of the officers of the law.
Here are the Presidents views Of
swift or speedy justice:
SV3t Justice Needed.
<The crime in question is one o
II