The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-17
Crime or the a1ountnincern.

The extraordinary crime Of the
mountain outlaws in Southwestern
Virginia. when mob resentment at tho
application OF judicial authority at the
expense OF one III their own number
TOOK the CORN of wholesale assassina-
ton. is one Of the most significant and
disturbing Of recent manifestations IN
this country of popular contempt for
law and OF defiance OF its orderly pro-
cedure. Judge Ma3sie and his asso =.
cgtc officers OF justice were the vic
Tins Of Il terrible and sansuinary form
OF the recall" ana Their fate Illus
trates the possibilities ana the lllti-
mate development, when Interpreted
hy the lawless ana the ignorant, OF the
doctrines which are ROW being ad =
Fanccd for the overthrow OF the sys-
TEN of government under which The
United States has grown and prosper
ed
The Ailon clan arc. II is true. a pc
cuIiar people, belonging in q sort OF
hIckwuter OF American civilization.
where respect for law Is unknown ana
whore Il code of social MORALS has ueeu
developed vastly dincrcnt from that
az the rest of the country. But their
crime is none the less q manifesto tlOn
or popular disapprovai OF a judicial
judgment. q rOuEh-anci- ready method
T.
whether IL be exercised, as in II.lis-
vile. by the direct m-Nsagc of the
rifle and revolver. or by the more
roundabout process OF a popular vote,
the effect Is the same, IT removes all
the safeguards which custom and long
experience have placed around tho in
dividual ana around society, anG
places the security OF both In the Keep
inS of an unstable and flckln majority.
n M la, In
their own desires, no duty but the res
cue OF their fellow, and in the face OF
these conditions the Institutions OF
civilized society went down In weltc-
or blood.
Virginia, OF course. will take the me-
cesanry measures 10 vinaicate the out
ragged authority OF the Old Dominion,
but It has task both complex ana
troublesome. In their mountain fast
AcsBes tho outlaws have long enjoyed
o certain security and an almost total
Independence from control. Even
should the band he quickly captured
and brought TO justice. there Is no Ger
tainty that tho process will not be at
tended By fresh bloodshed, or that a;
viii not be followed By feud war more
terrible in its toll OF human life than
the crime III Carroll county courthouse
on Thursday.
This outbreak has called the attcn-
ton of the world anew TO the strange
social conditions in the mountain fast
resses OF the Blue Ridge, conditions
which have been Unaffected by genera
tons of progress and civilization in
The surrounding region. and which have
thus far dciied every humane effort for
their amelioratiun. In ihe slow process
OF time cducatIo VIII doubtless penc-
trate into these remote places, but
that process viii not DC hastcnad by
the overthrow OF popular respect for
the Judiciary and for judicial decisions
Crime such as that committed by the
Alien clan Is the farthest removed
from the thoughts OF the preacher of
the new ana destructive doctrines of
the recall. but II is none the less the
logical outcome OF the spirit which
those doctrines will !ncyitpb bly, Inspire.
Philadelphia Public Ledger.