The Kemper herald., 1908-05-28


safety of its homes, the happines OF
its citizens, is determined by the
enactment of wise and wholesome
laws and their strict enforcement.
Mississippi has upon her statute
books laws that are just and equit-
able, proposed, considered and en-
acted by men who are in close SYM
pathy with the masses of the people.
If there be any exceptions to this
rule, they are few and far between.
and can be; remedied by proper eff
tort. These laws should be strictly
and impartially enforced. The wei
fare of the country demands it. Ii
there is a bad one on the books, re-
peal it in the proper manner and not
by non-enforcement. This must, be
made the banner state for law and
order in the Union. Such az end
can only be accomplished by the en-
actment of just and equitable laws
and their strict and impartial en-
forcement.
The infraction Of slightly impor-
tant law leads to graver offenses.
Citizens who wink one eye at small
offense will sooner or later be call
ed upon to go blind when more Sc
rious crime has been committed. Ken
lucky is experiencing this right now.
A movement to illegally right a
wrong has developed into reign
of anarchy and lawlessness. The
sympathy of the world was with the
night riders to begin with, but now
stands appalled, at the barborous acts
perpetrated and the reckless disre-
gard for law and authority evidenc-
ed. White cap organizations in Mis-
sissippi were formed to correct GER
tain evils, more by persuasion and
Influence than by the perpetration
Of crime, and often numbered in
their ranks many good and true men.
The commission of slight offense
against the law without punishment
encouraged more serious ones; law
less characters crept into the ranks
and the general result has been cru
city, arson, murder. There is not a
man in Mississippi who does not
know of these consequences.
The causes that justified the OLD
reconstruction Ku-Klux cannot prop
erly be pleaded in the cases men-
toned. This is case of neighbor
against neighbor, friend against
friend, son against father or brother
against brother. In the former, it
was the white people of the South
against an arrogant race arbitrarily
given authority over them and en-
couraged to deeds of lawlessness by
unreliable and mercenary parties.
The night riders began as an organ
ization to protect tobacco growers
against the merciless tobacco trust.
The result was satisfactory for a
time, but with the admission Of law
less characters into their ranks and
emboldened by immunity from pun
ishment, has resulted in body that
has taken upon itself the correction
of all grievances, real and imaginary
and does not hesitate to commit any
crime to carry out its purpose, pro-
ducing reign of terror that is caus-
ing hundreds of law-abiding citizens
to desert their homes and flee to
places Of safety. In many instances
the savings Of lifetime of toll and
deprivation has been swept away in
a night, the farmer not only losing
his barn and outhouses, but his horse
and not infrequently his life.
God forbid that the good old state
of Mississippi shall ever experience
such. The few instances of such a
character which have happened with
in her bounds sould prove object les
sons to guide our people clear of such
breakers An the future Ten years
ago party of good men in Union
county attempted to correct an error
in young man of the neighborhood
and the horrible outcome of that ex-
pediation should prove warning
against repetition of the act Two
good citizens dead and dozen fam
lilies heartbroken. The sad scenes in
and around the Federal court build
ing at Jackson only short while age
when hundreds of good citizens OF
Franklin county were before that au-
gust tribunal for something that was
begun for a purpose that SCENES to
them just and right, but before il
was ended human life had been sac.
rificed and dozens of homes were
darkened with cloud of sorrow. The
reign of terror in portion of Law
renee for time early this year and
the murder of good man and warn
ing of others, as well as a number
of other isolated instances that might
be named, should prove the guide
boards to steer our people clear Of
such dangerous ground in the fu-