The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-22

To the Editor Of The Age-Herald.
 The writer is perfectly aware of the unpopularity attendant on the discussion of the fnstreatment of the negro. But prnciple is one thing, and popularity quite another, and between the two one who Is aetuated by a. sense of right and justice does not hesitate to choose. If unpopularity be the result of duty, one can afford to welcome it.
 We have at last reached a point when the so-called race question can be ap- preached in temper that does not ex- cite so much partisan bias as heretofore. When approached on the line of humani- ty, and that is what it is, the considerate are disposed to listen Until within .ne last few years the report of homicide in the south would produce a shock, but murder has now become so commonplace that it scarcely produces even a passing notice Indeed. it has come to be eX- pected. This is especially true\ if the victim happens to be a negro. One rare ly picks up a daily paper that does not contain an account of a lynching or q homicide of sort sort The country runs red with blood. Lynching has actually become a fad. Once confined to the single cause of rape, it has become common for variety of causes. Now victims of mob violence are only accused or suspect ed'' of certain acts, and are straightway made the victims of a mob. Not only is this true. but somewhere almost daily victims are openly shot down under the pleaf of self defense. This is the state ment of one side of the case alone. What it might prove if both sides were fairly known and stated, is left to conjecture
 The acts thus committed against ne- groes are generally justified by the flip pant declaration, It's nothing but a ng- ger" and this seems sufficient to vindi-
 .f many against the negro. But murder is murder. no matter how committed or by whom. and no matter how sustained, whether by frivolous sense of self satis- faction or by prejudiced public senti- ment the man who commits 1t goes forth into the world bearing the brand of mur- der. Mobocracy that results in taking human life is murder. It is so designated in legal statute. human and divine. Though a thousand men share in the deed, every one under the law has com mitted murder.
 This is not unadvisedly said nor with out deliberation. said not in defense of one race alone. but in defense of both. At the present stage it is not race that is at stake, but society and the safeguards of civilization itself. Those who essay to protect society by bloody violence are really it's worst enemies. It is contra
 
 is protected by it's violation, that society is conserved by it's violation and that vir- tue is defended by the lawless taking of human life. Yet this is the incongruous and fallacious logic of the mob, and of other forms of lawlessness masqueradine under show of loyalty and devotion.
 Of all bodies of men, a band of lynchers is the least qualified to pass on the merits of crime. Yet instances are numerous x&-ba only "SlS- pected' or accused" and suffer violent death at the hands of mob. During the month of January, three men and one woman were merely "accused' of killing a white man at Hamilton, Ga., and were seized by 100 men, hanged and riddled with bullets There was no positive proof they were merely "accused.' This case is mentioned because it is recent and it's remembrance fresh. It is not here insisted that the victims were innocent. they may have been guilty. but assum- ing that they were, where lay the iusti- fication of this summary violation of the law? Whether guilty or not, Georgia has added to her black list loo more mur- derers who stalk forth scot free Where is the hope of subsequent relief from a condition like this. which converts the courts into a travesty, justice into mock cry, and civilization into a farce? If the results could be confined to the violators, that were bad enough. but that is only the beginning. It results in the debaucl,- cry of public sentiment, the demoraliza- .tion of society. and in the education of our children disrespect for law and a. contempt for the sacredness of human life. It sows dragons teeth for future harvests.
 But one is admonished that franknepe like this is unsafe. and only conduces to