New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-01-02
A BLOT ON THE 'sCUTCBEOy

Our Western and Southern frontiers, with
their life Of picturesque lawlessness, have dis
appeared but the baneful notions OF mob JUS
tee which that life evolved and popularized
survive TO plague us The Judge Lynch Of the
mining camps had an Ineligible function to
perform and his ermine was in a certain meas
ure respected. Like necessity, he knew no law,
yet his verdicts often the only practical
bic and next best substitute for justice. But
to admit bis rule In communities where courts
have long been established and the state stands
ready TO prosecute all offenders is to copy
frontier vices while forgetting frontier virtues
If the lynchlng mania still RACES in the older
and longer settled portions Of the country it
IS because those sections have really sunk in
respect for law and in the sense of RESPONSE
bility for public order below the level of the
rough frontier camp. 1t IS because wantonness
and hysteria prompt mob violence rather than
the lack OF effective legal machinery and mis-
trust Of the laws delays and uncertainties.
From this point Of view 1t is q shocking in
dictment which THE New Orleans Picayune'
has just drawn against certain Southern States
That newspaper has published list of per-
lynched In the United States In the year
1906. Seventy-two such Interruptions OF the
ordinary course Of Justice are recOrded-one in
Maryland. three in Kentucky, three IN Missouri
and the rest In states further south Mssis-
sppi seems to be the worst offender In this re-
spect, for thirteen persons were summarily ex-
ecuted in that state In 1906 and twenty In
1905. It Is interesting to note that not all of
the victims of mob law were Negroes and that
not all the Negroes lynched were lynched FOR
criminal assault or attempted criminal assault
In Louisiana one man was hanged for stealing
u calf and another was shot for stealing
silver dollar. AS many as thirty Of the sew
enty-two victims were lynched for murder or
attempted murder, so that the Justification of
mob methods often advanced-that they are
employed only TO avenge crimes against women
falls to the ground The fact seems to be
that the lynching habit, once contracted soon
ceases to differentiate between classes Of crimes
or alleged crimes: for THE Picayune" reports
that Negro was hanged IN Mississippi sim
ply for carrying pistol and one was hanged
in Georgia on no stronger accusation than that
of "disorderly conduct"
The recent race riots In Atlanta prove how
easy 1t is to infame q crowd Of vicious or
thoughtless men and boys to the point of TAX
ing lives without the slightest regard to guilt
or innocence. In Atlanta Negroes were shot
at simply because they were Negroes, and this
blind spirit Of rage and prejudice is RESPONSE
BILE for most Of the Illegal executions which
disgraced our civilization In 1906 The sober
sense Of Atlanta rallied after the outbreak of
October last, and vigorous measures have been
taken TO stamp out this brutal disposition TO
run amuck But the South must set itself
earnestly to eradicate the tendency to do off.
hand justice first and FIX legal oupability after
ward. II 1t = TO restors a real REIGN ef Law