The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-08-17
\ Newspapers and Mob Rule.


life, 4. d al Z s. $
N ewspapers and Mob Rule
al On July 24th G citizen refused to pay
u second faro to tho Brooklyn ERa pld
Transit Company, and was the at'cNt y
arrested by the State Of New Yorlt for. for
creating d ID disturbance. When tho case
was brou ght before Justice Gayno'rl, the
defendant was pnroled. and two do q
later, when tho case was tried, the c ''ll1-
sci for the company alleged that the
whole affair was q trick gotten UP TO
depress tho stock OF that company
However, on Saturday, the 2Stl, Just
before the heavy rush for Sunday began,
Judge Gaynor, one OF the candidates Tor
tho Democratic nomination for Governor
handed down a decision, holding the party
who had been arrested not guilty. II
will be observed that the conflict was
between the State and the individuals
forflaw- breaking, and that tho BROOKLYN,
Rapid Transit Company was not In court our.
at nll.s Nevertheless ] udgo Gnynor under.
took to give a lecture on double fares,
and stated the perfectly obvious propo-
sitlon that a public service corporation
Is no more entitled to exact a fec or
charge In excess OF that prescribed by
law than is public officer" But 1t
has never been decided by any competent
tribunal that the double fare was excess
sive In point Of law. AS soon as this
decision was handed down., the cheap
journals of New Y ork, especially thpse
that are under the ownership or manage
5meht OF William r. Hearst, urged the
people to take the law In their own
hands and stand up for their rights, with
the result, says the New York Herald,
that one young woman lost her life. q
dozen women and girls were sent to the
hospitals, forty men are In jail, tho trail;
( flc Of the entire borough Of Brooklyn
has been doranged, business at Coneyi
Island has been injured, suffering has
full passengers willing to pay their fare,
other thousands have been deferred from
enjoying q visit to the beach, hundreds
4 of men hayo voluntarily endured, dis,
comfort, If not actual misery, in obe-
dienco to what they fanoiod was their
duty, ana the good namo Of the city has
been dragged In tho mlre,
Commenting on this condition, the
News Leader. OF this city, says that " a
similar condition had arisen In Virginia
and the newspapers had urged the public
to take tho law In It's own hands and
resist payment Of tho SECOND fare to tho
extent OF mnnslaughter, 9"we can imagine
TINT few solemn and scoWling bar
room lonfers, supported by their wives
and daughters. would thump their dirty
fists on tho bar counters ami say, THAT'S
tho stuff Some, irresponsible boys and
young men, out OF Jobs or holding OH by
their eycllds. because their services are
grudg!ng or careless ana unsatisfactory,
would applaud enthusiastically Some
hus-beehs or disappointed men and homo
persons With ambitions larger than they
arc willing to work to or capable OF
would be secretly or openly plsasod The
great mass OF sober citizens. tho clerk,
salesman, mechanic, merchant. wages
Garner or Wage payer, going quietly from
work to their homes and families with
| the average mans snare or happiness NM
sorrow, sense and weakness, troubles and
| hopes. comforts and annoyances. would
laugh and say, This man IL q fool does
ho want us to set ourselves UP to decide
the law where our Judges differT
yet New York newspapers have given
| Just that kind Of advice. and have had
| New York public men, politicians and
lawyers, to support and sanction them,
With !ncendary articles and utterances
they have done their best to Induce citl'
2cns to XIII street car conductors, motor
men and inspectors. deputy Eheriffs am
policemen. II Is not their fault that some
poor, half-crazed devil, craving notprletS
and eager to be yellow newspaper ilero
or some tough, instlnctiyely ut wal
against authority and eager for riot, has
not committed murder and found him
self in prison with tha eleetrlc,chal,
death looking him ~ the face" IS
4 The foyer OF excitement raised, III,
mob spirit has auhsded In lts place ha,
coma a feeling Of shame and mortified
ton 10 the great majority of law-abldinl
citizens Of New York City that the,
+ Should have allowed themselves to b,
y betrayed by the selr,seeking desire fo
notor!tty that Is now infiaming the pas
sions and dlstorsng the Judgment Of
few politicians and newspaper owners
10 thoss who are nj In Now York it 4
y clear that the mob spirit rs q factor ii