Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-08-26
SAYS LYNCHING or MEN IN SOUTH
FOR CERTAIN CRIMES is A Pro
LECTION TO PEOPLE.
CONDEMNS THIRD DEGREE IN DEAL
ING WITH PRISONERS AS WORSE
THAN LYNCHlNG.

4
Cole Blcase NJ South Carolina IL an ad
dres5 delivered here today before the Gov
enors' conference on "The Duty and Re
spon~ibility Of Chief Executives in Deal
ing With Prisoners" declared that the
\ lynchlng OF men III the South for certain
cnmes i a protection w civilization. IIe
condemned the third degree IN dealing
with prisoner and expressed the opinion
that it was worse IN some respects than
\ Ilynchng.
The money wc spend for court and
Ipri~on- " very IN laid out" -ald Governor
Bease. lie continued IN part we make.
by di-trust, the thief. the burglar and in
cendiary, and ~ our court and jail We
keep HIM -n. An acceptance ut the -cutI-
meut ~ love throughout Chr-tcndom tor u
season would bring the felon and the out
cast To our side ~ tears, with the devotion
~ m tarultle- ~ our service.
within the past few weeks We read m
the newspapers VA man who bad made
an attempt upon the hie Of another BENG
phed with que tlons until he was too weak
70 talk. then being walked up and down
the corridors ~ n prison To revive him.
then piled with questions again. and sub
iected 10 God alone knows what else. IN
the administration of the third degree
Later thl- pri oner wa5 found on the floor
~ hi- cell with tn kull crushed in, and
II was stated that W. had climbed to the
top Of m- cell door and Jumped ia the floor.
killing himself Whether he was murdered
81 whether he really committed suicide
NJ not know but thi- ! do know fhat the
suicide III any man would hardly Nv IN
natural under such circum tanoe-, aud that
the treatment accorded him. before con
Uction would have been q disgrace 10 our
civilization even had il occurred after M
had hecn tired and sentenced
"Th- thrd degree method that i- prac-
tlced m the North and the East and the
West-le-s frequently. ! am glad to say
IN the South-whether y man be killed
during IT, administration. or whether he W.
driven To commit suicide. or whether az u
tortured sometimes INTO conte-~in. crimes
Of which he may be innocent. i barbarity
IN 5neaklng form under the sanction of
law, and those guilty oi practiciug VI evil
dcnce a spirit a- mean and contemplate
a. the malice which animate the midnight
q ~ -lu.
Three years ago had the pleasure NJ
addressing thia conference ~ Richmond
I MY remark were telegraphcd throughout
the nation. and | wa heralded to the world
as chef executive who advocated mob
violence. do not propose to go into di--
cu sion ot that here; ID I- entirely beside
the que ton Suffice II for ne to say that
| m the South. the Iynching of a man for the
unmentionabe crime D. protection 60 our
lcWIiizatIon, while the practice Of thi
third decree VIOLATES the letter VT our
constitution M it- most vital point and IL
a blow to the whole spirit of our lnstitu-
tions. In the South an aroused mob II an
outraged community which carries ont the
law. but brushes aside with mighty force
the lawz technlcalitic- and delays There
rs no hypocritIcal. sanctImonious violation
of fundamental rights under the cloak of
law by those sworn TO uphold the law. the
deed j. open, and civilization and justice
are vindicated And when mobe are no
longer possible. liberty viii be dead
The chief executive at a state has not
n more serious duty nor graver response
IbIhty than the obligation imposed upon
him N dealing with prisoners-and Nv
prisoners / mean to include those IN lail
lawaiting trial. 4 state or a nation that
ALLOWS its prisoners TO suffer cruelues i
glnlty ot-a greater crime than the prison
ers them seIvc have committed
1--WE have prisons and prison methods IN
the United States today which are a di,-
lgrace to any civilization.
when assumed the Office Of governor
of South Carlna ! nauguratcd III the state
! the parole system, and granted hundreds
of paroles. ! was vigorously condemned
on the one hand and as heartily praised on
the other, for nearly every decision