Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1906-12-08

destroy life or property by mob vio-
lence there should be no impairment
or tine power of the cou to deal
with them in the most summary and
effective way possible. But so far
as possible the abuse of the power
should be provided against by some
such law as | advocated last year.
Lynching
In connection with the delays of
the law, l call your attention and the
attention of the Nation to the preya-
lence of crime among us, and above
all the epidemic OF lynching and mol
violence that springs up, now in one
part Of our country, now in another.
Each section, North, South, East, or
West, has its own faults; no section
can with wisdom spend its time jeer-
ing at the faults of another section;
it should be busy trying to amend
its shortcomings. To deal with
the crime Of corruption it is neces-
sary to have an awakened public con-
science, and to supplement this by
whatever legislation will add speed
and certainty in 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 re-
spect 20 black men. The greatest ex-
listing cause Of lynching is the perpe-
tration, especially by black lei Of
the hideous crime of rape-the mos
abominable in all the category Of
crimes, even worse than murder.
Mobs frequently avenge the commits
sion of this crime by themselves tor
turing to death the man committing
it; thus avenging in bestial fashion
a bestial deed, and reducing them
selves to a level with the criminal.
L%awiessness grows by what it
feeds upon; and when mobs begin
to lynch for rape they speedily ex-
tend the sphere of their operations
and lynch for many other kinds OF
crimes, so that two-thirds of the
lynchings are not for rape at all;
while a considerable proportion OF
the individuals lynched are innocent
of all crime.
Moreovar whara any crime com
mitted by a member of one race
against asmember of another race is
avenged in such a fashion that il
seems as if not the individual Grim.
inal, but the whole race, is attacked
the result is to ~exasperate to th'
highest degree race feeling. Their
is but one safe rule in dealing will
black men as with white men; /
is the same rule that must be applied
in dealing with rich men and poo
men; that is, to treat each mar
whatever his color, his creed, or hi
social position, with even-hande,
justice on his real worth as a mar
White people owe it quite as nue.
to themselves as to the colored rae
to treat we'll the colored mar VIII
shows by his life that he deserve
such treatment; for it is surely tn
highest wisdom to encourage in tn
colored race all those individual
who are honest, Industrious, Law
abiding, and who therefore NAL
good and safe neighbors and cit
zens. Reward or punish the indiviC
ual on his merits as an individual
Evil will surely come in the end
both races If we substitute for tn
rule the habit of treating the men
bers of the race, good and bad, alik
There is no question of social equa
ity" or negro domination" involved
only the question of relentlessly pul
ishing bad men, and of securing
the good man the rights to his lif
his liberty, and the pursuit of h
happiness as his own qualities
heart, head, and hand enable him
achieve it.
Every colored man should reali
that the worst enemy of his race
the negro criminal, and above all Il
negro criminal who commits Il
dreadful crime of rape; and
should be felt as in the highest d
gree an offsense against the who
country, and against the colored ra
in particular, for a colored man
fail to help the officers of the law
down with all possible earnestne
and zeal every such infamous often
err. Moreover, in my judgment, Il
crime of rape should always be pu
ished with death, as is the case wi
murder; assault with intent to col
NIT rape should be made a capt.
crime, as least in the discretion
the court; and provision should
made by which the punishment mi
follow Immediately upon the heels
the offense; while the trial should
So conducted that the victim nee