The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1912-01-09
WIPING OFF A SMIRCH.

A good name in better than riches.
This is true of towns as we'll as indiv-
iduals. Newark, Ohio, has learned
that fact. A correspondent informs us
that that city is doing its best to re-
establish its good reputation. A year
and a half ago there was a peculiarly
disgraceful lynching there. What was
disgraceful about it was not only the
lynching itself, but the state of public
opinion, and particularly the state of
public morals as represented in the
city government, which made the
lynching and its attendant circum-
stances possible Excuses have been
offefed for that occurrence. 1t is said
that the whole body of citizens of Ne
wark cannot be justly held eulpable
for this horrible crime, because five
sixths of the citizens were not aware
OF what was happening; because many
OF the other sixth, even IL they could
have foreseen what the excited crowd
might do had a right to rely upon the
mayor and police and sheriff to keep
peace and protect life; because the
mayor and the police could have quell-
ed the mob II they had acted together;
and because the people of the city had
no idea that the mob would attempt to
attack Jail and seize the man who,
in the performance of his duty, had
reused the anger of the disorderly ele-
ment. Of course these excuses are
only excuses. They constitute no de-
much as the people of Newark were
responsible for putting into power
city government which was incompet-
ent and openly committed to policy
of non-enforcement of law. Ameri-
cans, whether of Newark, Ohio, or of
any other community, are intelligent
enough generally to understand that
they are responsible for their own
government, and it is poor business
for them to try to lay the blame for
misgovernment upon others than them
selves. Fortunately, however, the peo-
pie of Newark have not been content
to offer excuses. They have evidently
been aroused to the necessity of re-
pairing the damage they have done to
the good name of their own city. The
correspondent whom we have already
mentioned refers, in support of this
statement, to the following series of
occurrences: First, charges were
promptly lodged with the governor,
asking for the removal of the mayor
and the sheriff, who both resigned;
second, special grand jury found in
dictments against over forty of the
mob, charging most of them with muir
der in the first degree, and the rest of
them with rioting and assault and bat
terry; third, another grand jury in
dicted four more members of the mob;
fourth, thirty-tive of the indicted men
have been tried and have been con-
victed of manslaughter, or have plead
ed guilty of manslaughter, and have
been sentenced-one, convicted of muir
der in the second degree, to imprison-
ment for life, others to Imprisonment
ranging from fifteen months to twenty
years; one of the mob was acquitted,
four were not prosecuted, others at the
time our correspondent wrote were
awaiting trial or were out on bail;
fifth, the mayor, who was responsible
for the participation of the city as a
city in this relapse into savagery and
brutality, has sought "vindication" as
a candidate for nomination, and has
been defeated. We wish to call espec-
ial attention to our correspondents
account of the efforts of Newark to
undo the evil that was done by that
lynching. According to this account.
that city has done at least considerable
to show that it's repentance is the
only kind that is worth having-the re-
pentance that expresses itself in deeds.
The Outlook.