Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-03-29
RECENT LYNCH|NC
 WAS HARMFUL Lucey Writes and Tells of the Effect of Recent
 LaWlessness. THE BUSINESS MEN
Are Appealed t0-Says It Will Dis. count Work of Land Congress 
 25 Per Cent.
Monsignor J. M. Lucey, pastor of

St. Joseph's Catholic Church, and vicar general of the Catholic Church in Arkansas, who is confined to the Santa Rosa Infirmary at San Anto- nio, Texas, has addressed a letter to the Pine Bluff Graphic in which he denounces the recent lynshing of a negro here and declares that all Cath olics who participated in the affair are murderers before God. He appeals manfully tn the business interests of this community to prevent similar happenings in the future and cites the harm .done Pine Bluff and Arkansas by 3he occurrence. Among his state ments he argues that the lynching twill discount twenty-five per cent the , work of the great Land Congress re- gently held at Little Rock.
 Monsignor Lucey says: Tt is with great regret that I read this morning in the San Antonio papers that there was another lynching in Pine Bluff last night Good Friday, the one day in the year when mercy should be shown by man to man on account of the great mercy purchased on that day by Him who saved the human race from eternal loss of happiness. Will such actions bring good luck or had luck on a city? Will such things provoke the vengeance of God on q people?
 Taking the statement of facts, giv en in the papers, as correct, the ne- gro deserved to be hung and all ne- groes who hol dhis sentiments deserve to be driven from the community Bit viewing the matter outside of it's purely moral aspects and regarding it from an ordinary commercial and business point of view, the question may properly be asked what good has been done by this lynching, good to the business inteeests of Pine Bluff, good to the better protection of homes and families, or good to the moral progress of youth? It is conceded that an action performed by an individual in the white heat of passion almost always does more harm than good, though in way jus tifiahle. Reason is blinded by pas sion and the best human judgment is helpless. Every parent and teacher have ample occasion to see the truth of this principle and three-fourths of law suits in court are proof of the same thing. Act in haste and repent at leasure. The chances are there fore that a body of people act ing under the implse of the demon rage will almost always do more harm than good.
 It is my conviction that lawless- ness begets lawlessness. I firmly be- lieve that the lynching several months ago by railroad men of a negro on Second avenue, Pine Bluff. generated the spirit that led to the foolhardy deed of the negro who was charged with jostling and insulting white ladies on Main street and who suffered from mob treatment in con- sequence. 1 am of the conviction that the mob violence with which the ne- gro was treated was the inspiration of the dastard who was lynched last Good Friday night In lynching. we SOW the wind and reap the whirl- wind. It is only when people look to the enforcement of the laws that trust in the perfect security of home can be employed
 Il am not willing to speak for the Protestant churches or for the Jew ish church, but speaking for the Catholic church. will say that accord ing to it's teachings every active par ticipant in the lynching last Good Friday night is a murderer before God and must bear the brand of Cain burnt upon his brow until the day of his death, unless through profound repentnce his great sin is washed away by the blood of the lamb.
 What should be the course of our business men under such circum- stances? From business point oi view does lynching injure or bene- fit town? Some years ago there was telephone pole just in front of the court house steps where several mer had been lynched. It was one of tho objects of curiosity to visiting mer of business and pleasure After { time it began to dawn on the mind. of the business men of Pine Bluff tha the telephone pole was an evidenc, of disgrace rather than of honor, an, that it's existence was causing a fin Ancial loss to the city of not les