Bisbee daily review., 1906-12-05
PRES|DEnTSENOS MESSAGE TO
 CONGRESS
Both Houses Listen to Recom- mendations of Chief Execu- tive On Matters of National Importance at This Time.
(continued from Page one)
Lynchlng.

lence of crime among us. and above all 10 the epidemic of lynching and mob violence that springs up, now in one part of our country, now in an- other. Each section. north. south east, or west. has its own faults; no section can with wisdom spend its time jeering at the faults of another section: it should be busy trying to amend its own shortcomings. To deal with the crime of corruption 1t Is necessary to have an awakened public conscience, and to supplement this by whatever legislation will add speed and certainty 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. The greatest existing cause of lynching is the perpetration. especially by black men. of the hide ous crime of rape-the most abomina- ble In all the category of crimes. even worse than murder Mobs frequently avenge the commission of this crime by themselves torturing to death the man computing it; thus averaging in bestiai fashion bestial deed. and re- ducing themselves to a level with the criminal
 Lawlessness grows upon 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 crime. so that two-thirds of the lynchings are not for rape at all; while a considera- ble proportion of the individuals lynched are innocent of all crime. Governor Candler, of Georgia, stated on one occasion some years ago: "I can say of a verity that have. within the last month. saved the lives of half a dozen innocent negroes who were pursued by the mob. and brought them to trial in a court of a law In which they were acquitted" As Bish- of Galloway, of Mississippi. has finely said: ''when the rule of a mob ob- tains, that which distinguishes high civilization is surrendered. The mob which lynches a negro charged with rape will in a little while lynch a
 
 Christian patriot in America needs to lift up his voice in loud and eternal protest against the mob spirit that Is threatening the integrity of this Re public" Governor Jelks. of Alabama. has recently spoken as follows: The lynching of any person for whatever crime is inexcusable anywhere-it is a defiance of orderly government: but killing of innocent people under any provocation is infinitely more horri- ble: and yet innocent people are likely to die when a mob's terrible lust Is once aroused. The lesson is this: No good citizen can afford to countenance defiance of the statutes. no matter what the provocation. The innocent freuuently suffer. and, 1t is my obser- vation. more usually suffer than the guilty. The white people of the South indict the whole colored race on the ground that even the better elements lend no assistance whatever in ferret ing out criminals of their own color. The respectabIe coIored people must learn not to harbor their criminals. but to assist the officers in bringing them to justice. This is the larger crime. and 1t provokes such atrocious offenses as the one at Atlanta. The two races can never get on until there is an understanding on the part of both to make common cause with the law-abiding against criminals of any color"
 Moreover, where any crime commit i 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 avenged in such fashion that 1t seems as If not the individual crim i inai but the whole race Is attacked, the result Is to exasperate to the high | est degree race feeling. There Is but one safe rule Ia 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 posi- ton. with even handed justice on his real worth as man. White people owe it cutie as much to themselves as to the coiored race to treat well the colored man who shows by his life that he deserves such treatment: for 1t Is surely the highest wisdom to en- courage in the colored race all those individuals who are honest. industri- ous. iaw-abiding. and who therefore make good and safe neighbors and citizens. Reward or punish the indi- | vidual on his merits as an individual Evil will surely come In the end to both races if we substitute for this just rule the habit of treating all the mem | bers of the race, good and bad. alike. There Is no question of social equal | fty,' or negro domination" involved; only the question of relentiesssy pun | ishine bad men, and of securing to the ~oos u,an the right to his life. h's libertv. and the pursuit of his happi- ness as his own qualities of heart head. and hand enable him to achieve 1t.
 Every colored man should realize that the worst enemy of his race is the neeo criminal. and above sH the negro criminal who commits the dreadful crime of rape: and It should be felt as in the highest degree an oasnse against the whole country. and ssinst the coiorsl race in particular