The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-26
DErrANcE OF LAW.

We of Alabama can not shut our eyes to the unfortunate fact that crimes of mob violence have increased in the past few years. It is not es- sential that the causes for this in- crease to be analysed. if analysed they could be, 1t is only necessary that we should meet the fact of lamentable increase face to face and stop this form of anarchy. before other bloody crimes are done by mobs. We claimed with some pride only few years ago that there was less lynching, less of mob violence in Alabama than in per haps in any other Southern State. but now in the record of recent years the State can no longer make that boast
 The lynching in Mobile Saturday was one of the most contemptuous defnaces of the law ever chronicled in Alabama. worthless negro crim- inal had slain a brave and useful of- ficer of the law. But the negro was safely in jail. There was more than enough evidence to hang him legallya But a small mob. defying the law, slipped into the jail. took the negro out and hanged him to tree on one of the principal streets of Mobile. If such an offense could be aggfa- vated, if the defiant lawlessness of such a proceeding could be empha- sized. it was emphasized by the fact that the mob left the body hanging inx nude state to a~tree on one of the main travelled streets of Mobile. The unfortunate incident was a cruel. brutal defiance of the law.
 The news dispatches yesterday morning carried the account of the lynching of a negro in North Alabama near Leighton. He was charged with and was no doubt guilty of the offense of burning a barn containing live stock. But a lawless mob in defiance of the law took him from the officers and iynched him, committing great CT crime to punish lesser. The ex- cuse for lynching is that it is re- sorted to punish and prevent crimes against women of the white race by negroes. But this excuse for these | two Alabama crimes can not be brought forward. Tn neither instance had their been a crime against wo- men.
 The judicious utterances of The Mo bile Register pointing to fulfillment of it's prophecy that the Iynchings in Mobile in 1906 would be followed by crimes of a similar nature are to be commended. For many years the. re- cord of Mobile had not been stained by iynchings or mob violence. In 1906 as a result of aggravated crimes two negroes were lynched, although the State oficials were doing all in their power to protect them. The Register then sounded a note of warn. ing. It declared then that lawlessness begat lawlessness. And now fir less than two years that lynching in Mobile. despite it's previous good re- cord has been followed by two others This Is the signal. cardinal truth oi such affairs-violence begets violence defiance of the law begets defiance oi the law, crimes of violence begeti crimes of violence. It is a truth that applies not only to Mobile--it applies as we'll to all Alabama.
 The action of some of the leading citizens of Mobile in preparing tC avenge the affront to the law, is 8 healthfuI indication of the public sen. timent that exists there. The meet. ing held Sunday afternoon to have the 1ynchers brought to a court of justice was more than perfunctory denun, citation of the law. It is evidently tn, beginning of a determined effort tC stop mob violence there and stop f for all time. Nothing shows this nor, than the fact that nearly a thousand dollars to have the defers of tn, H
 law punished were contributed at tn, meeting and arrangements made t' further increase the reward.
 In appreciating the prompt actior of the citizens of Mobile, we ar not to get away from the fact tha other sections of Alabama have beer the scene of fragrant murder unde mob violence and that the prompt ac tion Mobile is taking has not char acterized certain other communities o the State. We are to remember tha the question is a State question--it af fects all Alabama, and Alabama mus meet and grapple with it.
 ' In the meanwhile the Governo should offer the largest rewards with in his power. He should exhaus every resource of the State toward arresting the criminals and law de flyers.
 ABOUT STRADDLING.