The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-04
LYNCHING

In connection with the delays of the
law. / call your attention and the at
tention of the nation to the prevalence
OF crlme among Us, and above all to
the epidemic of lynching and mob
violence. that springs up, now in one
part OF our country, now in another.
Each section, north, south, east or
west, has it's own faults; no section
can with wisdom spend it's time jeer-
ing at. the faults of another section;
it should be busy trying to amend it's
own shortcomings To deal with the
crime Of corruption it is necessary to
have an awakened public conscience,
and to supplement this by whatever
Legislation will add speed and GER
tainty to the execution of the law.
When we deal with. lynching even
more is necessary. A great many
white men are lynched, but the crime
is, peculiarly frequent in respect: to
black men. g. - f,.>>ssz, ri. .<.5E !.
The greatest existing cause Of lynch
ing is the perretration, especially by
black men, Of the hideous crime of
rape-thes most abominable in all the
category Of. crimes, even worse. than
murder. Mobs frequently avenge the
commission of :. this, crime. by them
selves torturing to death the man COM
hitting it; thus avenging in bestial
fashion a bestial deed, and reducing
themselves to level with the Grim
inal
Lawlessness grows by what it feeds
upon; and when mobs begin to lynch
for rape they speedily extend the
sphere Of their operations and lynch
for many other kinds? of crimes, so
that two-thirds of the 1ynchinas are
| not for rape at all; while consider
able portion Of the. individuals lynched
are Innocent Of all crime: :..>715:': :.
Treat Good Negro Right. ..
Moreover, where any crime commit
ted by a member of one race against a
member of another race is Avenged in
such fashion that it seems as if not the
Individual criminal, but the whole race.
| is attacked, the result is to exasperate
to the highest degree race feeling.
mere IS put one safe rule in dealing
with black men as with white men; it
is the same rule that.:must be applied
IN dealing with rich men and poor men;
that IS, to treat each man, whatever his
color, his creed, or his social position,
with even-handed justice on his real
worth as man.
Evil will surely come in the end to
both races If we substitute for this inst
rule the habit Of treating all the mem
oeT rs OF the race, good and bad alike.
There IS no question of "social
equality or "negro domination'' in
volved; only the question Of relent-
lessly furnishing bad men, and of Sc
curing. to the good man the right to his
life, his liberty, and the pursuit of his
happiness as his own qualities of, heart.
head, and hand enable him to achieve
it. "a -. ..-.... : - 'N =. ~, ~
Death Penalty. for Rape.
Every colored man should realize
that the worst enemy of his race is the
| negro criminal, and above all the negro
criminal who commits the dreadful
crime of rape; and it should be felt as
IN the highest degree an offense against
the whole country, and against the
colored race in particular, for a colored
man to fail to help the officers Of the
law III hunting down with all possible
earnestness and zeal every such in
famous offender.
Moreover, in my Judgment, the crime
! OF rape should always be punished with
death, as is the case with murder: as
sault with intent to commit rape should
be made capital crime, at least in The
| discretion of the court; and provision
should be made by which punishment
may follow Immediately upon the heels
Of the offense; while the trial should be
| so conducted that the victim need moi
be Wantonly shamed while giving tes.
timony. and that the least possible pub.
| lefty shall be given to the details.
-. :.s.. >. -.
NFo,,bore &c 4Laa .-L:1 =. ~