The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1906-08-24
LYNCH LAW.

!
not stop the crime which it seeks to
be avenged. Anyway it does not
seem to stop it. But it is just as
well to remember that it does little
good to rave and foam at the
mouth over the lynchings that take
place. There are some crimes that
arc so atrocious, SO inhuman and
so revolving that it is certain the
perpetrators will find speedy death
when known to be guilty. The one
thing that guarantees the security
of our civilization is the high regard
and reverence we for have woman
hood. Destroy this one safeguard
and there will be little left worth
having in our civilization.
1t remains solemn fact that
when the hand of a rapist clutches
the throat of good and pure wo-
man he will forfeit his life at the
he that community anywbnrn =
Maine to California or from Y Z w -
to the Gulf of Mexico. Where
there is certain proof, and the per-
petrator of the crime is caught,
there is but one ending to the hor-
riblc act-death ut the hands of the
mob. Neither is color the thing
that counts. Black, white, brown,
red and every hue that comes be-
tween will go the same way.
Everywhere and all colors it is the
same story-a swift death at the
hands of an infuriated mob.
There seems to be no way. to stop
lynch law except there be found IL
way tostop the crime that brings
swiftly in its wake the lynching!In
our sane, sober moments, and when
is some other mans wife, daughter,
sweetheart that is assaulted we NAV
say let the law take its course. -
And it is true that the law should
take its course but it never will,
so long as the blood that runs in
our veins is the blood of frcemen
and brave men. That's all there is
to 1t. Let the rapist cease upon
the earth, then will cease the spirit
OF lynching. But so long as it does
exist there seems to be no remedy,
sad fact, but verify the truth !;
and we had just as we'll face it and
be done with it.
| We stand for law and order al
ways and everywhere. But is it
not thinkable that our states laws
are at fault and inadequate? If
not, why such frequent violations
by sane and sensible men; for some
OF our very best citizens, law-abid-
ing and true, are members of these
lynching parties? Do they not see
and feel that they must act in de-
Tense of their homes? The very
fact OF SO much lynching gives
food for thought along this line.
Here, we think, are four causes
why lynch law prevails:
First and foremost, the crime
which the lynchers seek to avcnge.
1t is of such horrible nature that
mems blood boils and clamors for
speedy rctribution.
Second, an attempted rape is not
punishable by death, and men
know in their hearts that a would
be rapist merits death, nothing
less.
Third, our lawyers seem to glory
SO in the. dcterrence CT punishment,
glorying so in the display of knowl-
edge on tcchnicalitics, that the
brute is often allowed an extra and
undcscrved lease on life. Wrongcd
men cannot bear with this.
Fourth, the fact that woman
must appear in court before Il gap-
ping, curious, vulgar crowd and
testify to her shame.
These seem to us to be the causes
OF lynching, and until these causes,
OF which lynching is only the re-
suit, are removed we may expect
lunch La w To continnn H. loe-;.