The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-02-27

The following address on THE Ameri-
can PERIL was delivered yesterday by
John W. Abercrombie. president of the
University of Alabama. at the Chicago
meeting of the department of superinten-
dence Of the National Education asso'
citation.
DR.. Abercroanbde said:
Ladies and Gentlemen-Is there an
American peril? OF what does it consist?
There is a danger peculiar to our coun-
try. and it consists of the spirit of law
lessness. Disregard for law, man-made
and God-given is widespread.
Law and Liberty, Tyranny and License
All government is based upon law and
liberty and through a proper blending of
these two elements is the best develop
ment attainable. Each is an essential
element. and each has its counterpart,
for law may be perverted into tyranny
and liberty may degenerate into license.
Observance of law promotes orderliness,
but excess of liberty leads to license.
Law and liberty are the hardmaids of
civilization. while tyranny and license are
relics of barbarism.
rebels against law and abuses liberty;
but thanks to the all-wise Creator there
has been implanted in man, side by side
with his lower nature, better self
which, if properly cultivated, develops
into a controlling force in life And
one of the most marvellous characters
tics of the human mind consists of its
ability voluntarily to set up for this bet
ter self a high standard, and strive to
attain it, When the better self rules,
law and liberty are exalted; when the
lower nature prevails, tyranny or license
is enthroned.
America was settled by those who
sought to escape from injustice on other
shores, and it is not surprising that from
the beginning there has existed a ten
dency to stress Individual liberty, and
to minimize the Importance of law and
its orderly execution. That tendency has
found its way into all the affairs of life,
and as a result the country Is drunk
from very excess of liberty.
Only now and then, only here and there,
has law been emphasized to the point
of tyranny.
Prevalence OF EaWlessnSss.
The evils of unrestrained licenses are
visible everywhere, in business and So
ciety and church and state; but the most
alarming phase in which the spirit of
lawlessness manifests itself is that of
homicide The frequency, the reckless
ness. and the impunity with which human
life is taken should bring shame and
- a.-o,.,r .,o+,-io4io offizap
In no other civilized country is life so
cheap. In pagan Japan, even, it is valued
ten times more highly. For each million
of population we have annually about
eight times as many homicides as Bel
GUM, about nine times as many as
France about Y times as many as Eng
lang and Wales, about 25 times as many
as Germany.
With 10000 homicides yearly and with
a like number killed by railroads, fac
tories and mines, this is indeed land
reckless of human life And how many
of these are the victims of greed, of
license, of lawlessness?
Lax Law Enforcement.
What is being done to remedy the sit
uation? It is common knowledge that
nurderers are rarely punished adequate
w. If the accused be wealthy or in
fuential, and the victim be poor or I'M
known. acquittal or light punishment is
practically certain If the slayer be of
the negro or other colored race, and
the slain be a white person, no matter
how worthless, conviction on lynching is
the usual result Seldom, except when
equal Stays equal is impartial justice
administered What a sad commentary
on our boosted civilization
Laxness IN law enforcement is limited to
no state or section, and the increase in
murderous crime grows at a bewilder-
ing rate. Everywhere we have excess of
liberty, unbridled license, barbaric law
lessness. Both by retail and by whole
sale do we kill. If this spirit is not
checked the country Is doomed.
The Lynching Evil.
Reference has been made to lynching
and therein lies the most alarming feat
ure of homieidal crime At first, for
justification, the usual cause" was as
signed; then, murder and other felonies
then, misdemeanors and trifiing offenses
then, mere race membership. Negroes
have been lynched because they were ne
groes Worse than that, they have been
taken from the officers of the law, even
from the temples of justice, and muir
dered And this has been done wher
legal conviction and punishment were GER
tain and imminent.
At first lynching was infrequent; now II
10 frequent. Then only negroes and unin.
fusntial white men were the victims; now
people of character and standing without
regard to race are executed. The moi
spirit, whether 1t manifests itself in the
might riders" the white cappers," thu
race riot" the BLACK Hand,p or othel
form, is no respecter of persons.
And the lynching evil, like other form!
OF homicide, is confined neither to sec
ton nor to state. One is constrained Il
wonder if the court is to be superseded
by the mob; if self-government is to prove
q failure, if the result is to be complete
anarchy, drifting back into the darkness
Of barbarism.
Popular Government Jeopardized.
That there must be reversal of the
tendencies of the times is clear, for popu-
lar government is jeopardzed, civilization
Is in the balance
The masses must be made to realize
that lynching, however great the provo
cation, is indefensible; that it degrades
and brutalizes all who participate, even
all who witness or condone; that crime is
not a preventive but a producer of crime
that lawlessness begets greater lawess-
ness; that hatred and revenge bree1l
hatred and revenge.
oficers of the law must be made to