Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1906-12-04

I
obtains, that which distinguishes a
high civilization is surrendered. The
mob which lynches a negro charged
with rape will in little while lynch
white man suspected of crime. Every
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; Inc
flynching of any person for whatever
crime is mexcusahle anyWhere-it is
a defiance of orderly government; but
the killing of innocent people under
any provocation is infinitely more hor-
rible and vet 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 counter
ance a defiance of the statutes, no
matter what the provocation. The IN
locent frequently suffer, and II is
ny observation, more usually suHer
han the guilty. The white people of
the south indict the whole colored race
on the ground that even the better
element lend no assistance whatever
in ferreting out criminals of their own
color The respectable colored people
must learn not to harbor their Grim
mails. 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 At
lanta 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
ted by a member of one race against
member of another race Is avenged
in such fashion that 1t seems as If
not the individual criminal, but the
whole race, is attacked, the result Is
to exasperate to the highest degree
race feeling. There is but one safe
rule in dealing with black men as
with white men; 1t 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 position, with
even handed justice on his real worth
as man. White people owe 1t quite
as much to themselves as to the coll
ored race to treat well the colored
man who shows by his life that he de-
serves such treatment; for 1t is surely
the highest wisdom to encourage in
the colored race all those individuals
| who are honest, Industrious, law -abid-
ing, and who therefore make good and
safe nefghbors and citizens. Reward
or punish the individual on his merits
as an Individual. Evil will surely
come In the end to both races II we
| substitute for this just rule the habit
| OF treating all the members OF the
| race, good and bad. alike. There is
no question Of social equality" or
| NEGRO domination involved: only the
! question OF relentlessly Furnishing bad
men, and OF securing to the good man
the right to his life, his liberty. and
the pursuit OF his happiness 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
negro criminal, and above all the negro
criminal who commits the dreadful
| crime of rape; and 1t should be felt
as In the highest degree an offense
against the whole country, and against
the colored race In particular, for
q colored man to fall to help the ON
GERS Of the law in hunting down with
all possible earnestness and zeal every
such infamous offender. Moreover, in
my Judgment. the crime. OF rape
should always be punished with death
as Is the case with murder; assault
with intent to commit rape should
be made a capital crime, at least IN
the discretion Of the court; and pro-
punishment may follow Immediately
upon the heels of the offense; while
the trial should be so conducted tina,
the victim need not be wantonly sham
ed while giving testimony, and tina,
the least possible publicity shall bs
given to the details.
The members OF the white race or
the other hand should understand tina
every lynching represents by Just 81
much loosening of the bands o
civilization: that the spirit of lynch
ing Inevitably throws into prominence,
In the community all the foul and evi
creatures who dwell therein. No MAJ
|. can take part in the torture OF a HUI
! man being without having his owl
moral nature permanently lowered
!. Every lynching means tust SO nue.
: moral deterioration in all the childre
VINO have any knowledge OF 1t, an
. therefore just SO much additions
: trouble for the next generation Q
Americans.
Let Justice be both sure and swift
!, but let It be Justice under the Law
: and not the wild and crooked sayae
cry OF mob.
There Is another matter which has
: direct bearing upon this matter {
lynching and Of the brutal crime wl,ic
sometimes calls 1t forth and at oths
. times merely furnishes the excuse II
Its existence. It IL out OF the quef
e ton for our people as q whole perms
nently to rise by treading down an
OF their own number. Even those WI
e themselves for the moment p-ofit /
q such maIltreatment of their fellow
{. will In the long run also suffer. n
\ more shortsighted policy can be In
le agined than. in the fancied interest
r. one class, to prevent the education
Dr. another class. The free public scho4
N the chance for each boy or girl to Z
r. good elementary education lies
1t the foundation of our whole polite
II situation. In every community h
he poorest citizens. those who need 4
to schools most. would be deprived
Y. them II they only received school (
er cillties proportional to the taxes tn
a. paid. This Ii as true of one porti
en- OF our country as Of another. It is
is true for the negro as for the VIII
en- man. The white man, II he Is wi
H. will docltno RI al1orv the unornns A.,