The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1906-10-11
REV. W. J. E.OX breaches go
ON REASONS FOR LYNCH LAW

law. then let us use our utmost in
fluence to have the law changed. A
Judge should have the authority to
call a special grand jury without Civ
ing thirty minutes notice.
When l lived at Staunton. Va, a ne
gro man outraged a young white wo-
man and then murdered her. The
| crime was committed on Saturday
right. The man was arrested on Sun
day, the Judge of the criminal court
called special grand jury on Monday
morning. and on Wednesday the brute
was sentenced to be hung. heard the
trial from start to finish, and it was
, perfectly fair. though the prisoner was
protected by the militia.
,, The longer the trial of such Grim
iral is delayed the greater is the cause
given for the existence of mob law
when another similar crime is commit
ted. The people naturally feel that
there is too much uncertainty about
the punishment of the criminal. If
| the negro Thompson had been prompt
~ tried and hung. the crime OF
Robinson. perhaps would not have been
committed. There would. at least.
have been no excuse whatever for the
| mob Of last week.
. Another thing that contributes t.
conditions that produce mob law is the
existence in our community Of negro
dives kept by morally ff by white men
/ who are no better than the negroes
| that frequent their places. In 'hesc
dirty dens. negroes and white people.
, males and females-the scum of the
| lo west grade of human society-mingle
| together. Respectable colored men
say that In some of these cess pools
| OF iniquity vulgar pictures Of white
| women are displayed on the walls
The Saturnalia of Rome was not com
parable to some Of the performances
| In some OF these pitfalls of hell
| A prominent railroad official who
was here In his private car for several
| days last week said that he was not
| surprised at the condition Of things in
| Mobile after hearing and seeing what
he did about the depot. He comment
ed severely upon the dens Of vice that
exist In the neighborhood of our depot
| and of the vile language used by the
men and women who frequent them
Even the travellers passing through
our city at night complain of the dis
gushing profanity they are compelled
to listen to.
! we permit such things in a respec.
able community and then curse the
negro because he Is not what we think
ne ought to be. Atlanta has closed up
such places. Let us follow her exam
pie before we are required to face the
state or things that existed there
| Whlte men with negro wives is an
otner thing that helps to bring about
the state Of things that produces mob
| law. And there are such cases in our
CITY conspicuous cnes. Sometimes
such men are honored with positions
OF trust. One white man in this city
VINO Is the reputed head of a negro
family holds political position, and,
IL Is said that he had the audacIty to
state to the gentlemen who elected hin;
10 ONCE that his salary was not sufll-
cient to support his family. Those who
elected him know that he is the head
o! negro family. and still he retains
ms position. What is the negro to
think but that he is socially the white
mans equal when such things exist
ana are continually star1g him in the
racer Don't curse and damn the ne
gro while you permit such men. who ara
the enemies Of both races. to live IN
your midst except behind prison bars.
Another thing, I think, which con-
ssoutes 10 mob law IS the non-en-
iorcement of laws by the officers who
nave taken a solemn oath to enforce
tnem. A prominent citizen was right
wnen ne said at the public meAting
last Thursday night: 1T is the relax.
atlon or the execution of the laws by
the omcers which causes the trouble
AS is well known to citizens and OH
| :
day both in the city and County ia
help debauch the morals of the com
munity. Everybody knows, and none
better than our city authorities. that
this statement is true. The majority
or saloonists have no respect for laws
maze TO regulate their business, and
they are supported in xneir violations
OF law by those who are high up in
authority. The public was informed
some months ago with a great flour
Ism or trumpets that policeman who
permitted saloon to do business on
sunday would be dismissed from the
force. There has been an impression
In the community for some time that
a. policeman who interfered with a
saloonist for running his business on
Sunday would have his beat changed,
and II he persisted in keeping his oath
by closing the saloons on Sunday he
would lose mis- positi4n
The statements from the Mayor and
Chief of Police which appeared in the
newspapers this morning furnish
abundant proof that che saloons of the
city have been violating the Sunday
law. and that 1t is within the power OF
those IN authority to ciose them.
stated to gentlema~ on Friday tina,
all the saloons in the city would be
closed today. How long will they re-
main closed? AS long as the better
element of the community demand
that they shall be closed. Withou,
the protection of the police the sa.
looms would not dare 20 violate the
Sunday law. Conviction for the sec
ond offense deprives them of their H.
cense. and they will not run the risl
without police protection.
1t is as true today as 1t was in the
days Of Solomon that when the right
eous are in authority the people re
joice; but when the wicked beareth rul,
the people mourn. If we elect to of
flee men who are Interested in thu
liquor business we cannot expect then
to enforce the laws against a business
that puts dollars into their Golfers
and as long as our laws are not en-
forced we must expect to mourn.
There has been an effort made re
Gently to organize a saw and orde
club in Mobile. the object OF which Il
to suppress lawlessness. I was ono
member of an organization in THU
! city, the purpose or which was to as
sist in the enforcement of law. l
was composed OF conservative men
and yet many were afraid Of 1t. ant
some so-calied prominent citizens or
ganized a counter movement. W.
went on with our work and closed III
E the gambling dens of the ciry, whel
the Chief of Police confessed his in
ability to do so: and If we had beer
. given the support of the better clas
of citizens many other evils woul'
have been corrected. I have had ex
perience enough to know that viola
ters of law are unmitigated towards
Gambling places. am Informed
have been run in our city for some
time, practically open and above
board and. It is saio, mat they are
frequented by boys. VINO gambl" ahe