The Denver star., 1913-08-30
Advocated Rope For Lynchers
In Recent Address.
CALLS IT COWAROLY MURDER

In forty years more than 5000 per-
Ons have been the victims Of mobs.
Varda mans, Miss, has the largest mum
ber to its discredit Afro-Americans
have been lynched for such causes as
race prejudice, informing, making
threats, unpopularity. slapping child.
being troublesome, testifying against
white persons, enticing servants away
| and in many cases for no cause what
ever.
The Republican party is essentially
the party of law and order. While
the Democratic party has condoned
lawlessness, the Republican party has
always stood for the supremacy of tie
law. The majority of the lynchings
have taken place in states controlled
by the Democratic party.
| President Taft has denounced lynch
ing in the strongest terms in many pub
/ lie utterances-
| President Taft Advocates the Rope For
| Iynchers.
At meeting held April Q, 1912. In
the Metropolitan A. NJ. E. church.
Washington, for the purpose OF raising
/ funds for the building of a gymnasi-
um at Howard university President
Taft condemned mob law in vigorous
language. The president did not mipce
his words. and he was greeted with
laundering applause when he declared
with emphasis. The man that pulls
the rope should hang by the rope.
President Taft said In part:
Now. take the matter of lynching.
That as well as the administration OF
our criminal law forms a disgraceful
page In our social history. Hearty
applause. l just think it is well to
take a text on that subject. lProlonG-
ed applause and cheers.l
Now, know that our courts are not
perfect l know that they don't apply
the law with certainty and dispatch in
the criminal cases as they ought to.
and believe that part of this depar-
ture from laws as is the case In lynch
Ing aud disorder is due to the fact
hat courts are not certain and are not
.ull of dispatch in the justice meted
out in criminal cases But we must
not attribute ii all to the courts. There
Is among our people disposition TO
forget the sanctity of the law and not
to know that no civilization in any
country can live unless the law Is re
spected prolonged applause.l Now,
ynching is claimed by some to be jus
ified because. as they say. 1t is applied
,nly TO the person guilty of one special
crime that is particularly heinous to
all of us. But that is not true Sta
hstics show that lynching is applied
to those charged with great many
crimes. and the moment you trans
gress once and the csoment the mob
acquires the wolfish desire for human
blood the example is dreadful to the
community in which the exhibition of
llawlessness is given. tProlonged ap-
plause.l And there is not any crime
| don't care what It is-that justifies
a departure from the law or the sum
mary punishment by mob of the per
son who is charged with guilt tPro-
longed applause.1 1t Is one of the Sc
rious questions that we have to face
In this country. We have not among
all Of our people as profound respect
for the law and the necessity for obe-
dience to 1t as we ought to have. and
|
this exhibition of lawlessness over the
country and these cruel murders. for
that is what they are. for 1t Is no less
n murder when 400 participate in the
killing of one man. Ordinarily it is ac-
companied by great deal more of
cownrdice by reason of the fact that
400 are engaged In such crime
"AND THE ONLY WAY BY WHICH
1T CAN BE SUPPRESSED is THAT
SOME TIME WE SHALL HAVE
MEN AS SHERIFFS, MEN AS GOV
ERNORS AND AS PROSECUTORS
AND AS JURORS. WHO WILL SEE
TO II THAT THE MEN ENGAGED
IN PULLING THE ROPE UNDER
THOSE CONDITIONS SHALL
THEMSELVES SWING BY THE
ROPE IHearty applause and cheer
ihg.l Wherever 1t occurs It is to be
condemned and rooted out, and this
can only be done ty developing an in
dividual and public opinion demanding
the enforcement of the law. And
hold that every one who tends to mini
mize respect for constituted authority
and respect for the law and fails to fol
low 1t just as 1t is contributes to the
continuance of that lawlessness which
we deplore theoretically, but, am sor
ry to say. at the same time we ex
press too much sympathy with actu-
ally"
Party principles have not changed.
| Irsy..