Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-27
Night Riders and Anarchists.

Gov. Patterson of Tennessee earned and
received general approval for his energy
in taking hold OF the night riding in his
state None of the offenders it is true
has yet been punished. but they and all
their confederates are advised that the
head of the commonwealth is in earnest
and will employ all the power at his COM
mand to ferret out and punish crime.
In an interview just published this
worthy official says some excellent things
and some regrettable things. He Is en-
tirely right in the statement that no sec
ton of the country has a monopoly of
mobs. Violence has of late years marked
the history of all sections. Lynchers have
seemed to spring out of the ground. and
sometimes upon next to no provocation.
From Furnishing the most awful OF crimes.
n1obs passed to the small offenses of
theft. and then to the regulation of the
prices of farm products. The Tennessee
outbreak which brought Gov. Patterson
into the field grew out of the transfer of
a sheet of water from one owner to an
other. The transaction interfered with the
interests of the mob, and the mob hanged
one of the lawyers who had drawn the
deed
Gov Patterson is safe in that position.
scornful finger at Tennessee. But in this
comparison the governor Is not so happy:
I'm the south we have had the night
rider and the terrors he bears for peace
full citizens. but In the north Is the an
archist. who is opposed to government it
self.
Both are public enemies. and should be
treated as such, but as between the two.
the night rider is to be preferred. for
when a halt is called in his depredations
he may become good citizen, while there
is no hope for the bomb thrower and an
archist. What we need all over the coun-
try is more respect for law and consti-
tuted authority
Night riders are worse men than bomb
throwers. and. unfortunately for the
country are far more numerous. The
reds are of foreign birth, and some OF
them have been reared under hard condi-
lions. Almost from their cradles they
have heard the authorities rallied at, and
been Instructed to believe that violence
was their only hope. This does not eX-
cuse them. but 1t explains them. Their
hearts and minds were corrupted before
they reached this land of promise and op-
portunity
But the night riders, In Tennessee and
elsewhere. are Americans, of American
descent. They were born and have al
ways lived. under a free government, and,
as they themselves have often boosted.
the best government in the world. They
are familiar with the ballot box, With
courts of equity. with trial by jury, with
every remedy for the correction of evils
under government. And yet for such a
matter as the price Of tobacco. the price
Of cotton. the privilege of fishing in a
lake. they band together. take the law
into their own hands. ride at night with
masks over their faces. and take human
life and destroy valuable property. They
leave the people whose lives they spare
pauperixed.
These surely are the very worst men in
this country; and when Gov. Patterson
expresses the belief that after they have
wrought their purposes they may become
useful citizens again. he shows an opti-
mism born Of a denial of all experience.