Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-08-22
THE ILLINOIS LYNCHINGs.

The sporadic outbrea6 in Spring
field. Illinois. which resulted i'm the
lynching of Scott Burton. colored.
Saturday morning before daylight
and William II. Honigan colored.
eighty years of age and inoTensive.
whose throat was cut and a rope tied
through the wound viii be a revola-
tion to tens of thousands of people.
who live ON infancied security, un-
mindful of the fact that the storm
of lynching is now passing north
ward as "a result of the lecture sys-
TENS of Senator Benjamin TUman
and men OF his INK. who urge the an
archistic and venal white elements
throughout this republic TO deeds of
violence which Will put these north
eru sections ON par with those Of
The Southland.
To has been demonstrated too that
the northern communities are not as
wen prepared to cope with these out
breaks AS some of our southern cl-
ties seem Go Doe. The alleged crime
OF "a Negro. who is said 90 have COM
mittod au assault upon white wo-
man is not 90 Doe taken into consider
alton. These things are only taken
as excuses for the lawless. thieving
elements TO ply their advocations and
to bring shame and disgrace upon the
communities I'm which they live.
We have read with interest the re-
ports as TO the attitude OF the
state militia and it seems to us that
politics was 20 an extent mixed up
in the whole affair The authorities
seemed 90 be too anxious TO avoid
blood-shed and ass "a result of dallyinE
with The mob other excuses followed.
We're Killed and go injured up to
this writing. The Sth Illinois Regi-
meut. colored organization was not
ordered TO the scene of the distur-
banco 10 may have been wisdom IN
one sense. but 70 was poor policy i'm
another. Rifles are said to- have been
wrenched from the hands of some OF
the white soldiers. This would seem
90 Indicate that 10 was known that
the local militia would not fire on the
mob.
That it was surprised is evident by
its demand that the soldier, who
stabbed Earl Nelson. white man,
who boarded troop train and at
tackled him shall be delivered up to
the civil authorities for Indictment
and punishment Governor Deneen
has held that the soldier was In the
discharge Of his duty and the blood
of the killed man was on his own
head.
The mob got the notion that be
cause their own soldiers, those resid-
ing in Springfield were disinclined to
shoot. that those outside of that city
were built the same way" Had the
Eighth Illinois Regiment been order
ed to Springfield. they would nave
scrupulously obeyed orders and just
the appearance OF them would have
convinced any man under the sun
that they were there for business.
As matter Of fact, no sane man will
stand before one OF those high power
rifles now used by the National
Guard unless he has secured a ticket
20 heaven with his luggage checked
for the other world.
But these officials at Springfield
dallied with the mob and endeavored
by a show of force TO overawe the
lawless elements. Much damage
was done before the lawless elements
saw sufficient force to satisfy them
that the guilty rioters and murderers
would be punished.
This brings us back to our oft-re-
peated declarations that the only
proper way to deal with a mob is 10
shoot the life out of it. The ring
leaders should be taken into custody.
be the cost what it may. It seems
that the indisposition Of the State
troops was more than counter-balan-
ced in one case at least. The report
says:
Just before midnight, a veritable
race war was waged on Washington
street along the row Of Negro resorts
between Sixth and Eighth Streets
hundreds OF shots were fired. IL is
SAID Negroes fired upon the mob be-
low from second story windows
James Scott, white, was shot through
the left lung and later dfa5 S.-