The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-02-19
THE CAIRO MOBBINQS.

imagined than the evidence Of il which
is carried in the mobbing Just reported
from Cairo. Last November. the City
of Cairo WAS gwen over to carnival
of nnresisted mobbing Of negroes. That
mobhing was in every way success
from mob standpoint II was en-.
couraGed from the pulpit; it was gen
orally condoned even by the best of
citizens Of Cairo, according to NIL re-
ports sent out,
That evident success and encourage.
mcnt appear 10 have fixed firmly in the
minds of the lawlcss element Of Cairo
thc idea that mobs are better than
disobeyed, Accordingly, when negro
snatched a purse from the hand of n
white woman, and was promptly ar,
rcsaed and put IN Jail the mob spirit
hamcd up anew. and there was an inn
mediate determination to "lynch the
nIgger, The mob gathered, but this
time the sheriff and his deputies stood
firm, protected the Jail, and wounded
some of the mobbers. ono Of whom wac
found dead near tho jail yesterday
morning
II was made a plant that this dead
man had been only wounded. and would
probably have lived if he could have
had proper attention and care 1t is
gTlevous to have a man die under such
circumstances. But. it must he rcmcm
bercd that this man was engaged in
lawIess enterprise and was aSsaiing the
constituted officers Of the law 1t was
necessary. in tho sheriff s
Judgment, that the mob should he kept
at such distance from the Jail as to
make the officers secure in their dc.
feusc of their prisoners and of the
public property. Accordingly, he
warned all the mob to stay away, and
would not allow any TO approach, prob
ably because Of fear that the mob
would use the prcteXt Of caring for
this man as the means whereby they
could rush the Jail, in this. il is
necessary for public opinion TO sup
port the sheriff, and TO conclude that ~
was the right thing for him TO do un
Ter all the circumstances II is ncces
5ary that a sheriff so placed as was the |
cairo sheriff IN this case. must be sup.
ported by public opinion and by law |
n whatever measures he considers |
necessary to fully carry out his duties.
4 the shots that he and his deputies |
lad fired had been Instantly fatal OH
Of Ibn me- fharo |
10 Just reason to complain. TIE hard
hip involved in the long suffering OF |
he man whose life might have been
aved is altogether lust cause of
omplaint from humane standpoint
5ut, still the sheriff must be justified
There is altogether too much of the
dea prevalent in large numbers of
American communities that only such
avs, or such measures in support of
he law, as certain paris of the com
lunIty approve, must be yielded to by
he citizens We need everywhere
nd we need it in Utah as we'll as else
there, rebirth in the sentiment tina,
'w as law must be revcrcd and
beyed, no matter what anybody s
pinions, religious or otherwise. may
g about It. The law is supreme, and
is especially needful in the republican
orm of government, that I'll It's citizens
hall respect and obey the laws of the
copies own making. The mob spirit
J frenzy; it is anarchy. The fact
hat these Cairo mobbers would have
aken out and lyucbed this negro. and
erhaps other negroes in the iail, the
uIlt of this man being the compare
vcly slight one Of snatching pursc,
bows the disproportion of the Of.
anse 10 the merciless intent as to pun
'hment of the bowling mob. It is bad
uough in all conscience for mob to
i'll 8 man for murder or rape; but for
mob to assemble, crazy with rage. for
ne purpose of mobbiug a negro who
as done nothing worse than snatch
urse is beyond the proportion of the
unshment TO the crime that even an
npry mob should demand