The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-10-27

had no idea of what they We're about
to do, but by the time they had
reached the house where the wounded
man had been taken, they were itching
10 pull at rope. In just such care
less. trivial ways the mob spirit is
born.
The mob spirit does not necessarily
vent itself in murder. Here are some
typical instances of mob emotion that
occur in everyday life.
A baseball crowd when the home
team is winning in a grand closing raj
ly when the game seemed lost
A football crowd, when some halt
back breaks loose from tangle OF
players and electrifies the stands by
an eighty-yard run down the field,
The intense excitement that accom-.
panies some Of the great revival meet
ings where thousands are under the
spell of an emotional orator
The frenzied ovations that are some
times given a presidential candidate
after long week Of the excitement
of a national political convention
The sudden blaze of excitement that
follows any war scare is the nantes
tation of a national mob spirit 1t is
electrical in it's effect on the great
crowds that form In such periods
Spellbinders of the political cam.
paigns are past masters in the art of
stirring up mob emotions. They are
valued according to their ability to
stir the crowds into yelling, screech-
ing enthusiasts.
stop thief" is another cry that
starts the mob emotion. makes every
man drop whatever he Is about to do
and turns him into a hunter of the
hunted.
What would your defense be If you
we're brought into court charged with
being a member of a mob? Is there
any defense that could be made as
laws stand now? In the past the man
charged with being a member of such
an avenging band has always relied
upon technicalities and the power of
public sentiment to help him 60 free.
Now the alienists and psychologists
have found a new loophole.
They assert that mob members are
under the diabolic sway of the mag.
netism of the mob
That he is not responsible for any
acts that he may have committed
while in that strange. trance-like state
of excitement that glazes mems eyes
and turns the gentlest soul into crea.
ture Of vengeance is their opinion
His actions while under this pc.
culiar mob.hypnosis are at utter va.
rance with everything that he has
ever done in all his life before.
He has hypnotized himself and 9th.
ers at the same time with ideas OF
vengeance.
According to the men who peer into
our motives and dissect our thoughts
these are the real reasons why we
appeal to Judge Lynch" The low
percentage Of convictions in assaults.
murders and the whole catalogue OF
outrages have had to do with our
readiness to carry the case into the
tribunal of that Judge who works in
the dark and who always convicts and
never grants a rehearing Race preju-
dice helps the mob to appeal from the
courts of the state to this mythical
court that has hanged. burned and
shot nearly 400 victims since 1885,
Lynching is not becoming less fire.
quent. The average holds nearly uni.
form one year after another States
that never knew the vengeance Of
mob before have recently been
shocked and Mortified by outbreaks
Of this spirit within their boundaries
The custom Of appealing to that grim
Judge" Is spreading. and thus far no
means have ever been devised that
will stamp 1t out. 1t lies too deeply
In the emotions.