The Topeka state journal., 1916-08-26
Fourth of a Series of Articles
by the Rev. Mr.. Walker.
TOLERANCE IS NOT REQUESTED
Nor Does the Negro of Today
Ask for FOrbearance.
Lynchings Must Be Stopped Is
Decree of New Justice.
BY THE REV. GEORGE GILBERT
WALKER, Nj. a.
Article ".

The colored American does not ask
FOR patronage or liberation or for
bearance. He demands justice;
nothing more, nothing less. The high
est human justice is that which is
communal. 1t is that attitude of every
person toward every other person,
which shall be of such character as
20 make the well-being, security, hap
piness of each individual of funda-
mental Importance to every other in
dividual. Justice, according to this
highest ideal (and no other ideal Is
worthy a Christian state) is a positive
virtue As a matter of fact, all vir
tue is positive. Such an ideal can
only be said to be in process of realiza-
ton in community or state, when
the persons which make up the COM
munity or state seriously endeavor to
assume such an attitude toward each
other.
Concretely, justice may be identified
with law. 1t does not follow that law
is always just The contrary has
many times been true. But the ideal
of law is justice; and a law which is
obviously unjust has ceased to have
claim to high respect. Yet, even in
such a case, law is to be obeyed; be-
cause law makes for order; and order
is the condition of civilized life I'm
Just laws must be combated by ap-
peal to the power which every state
provides, whose duty it is to scrutinize
and decide all questions from the
Impossible for Courts.
1t is obviously impossible for courts
of law to always be just, even when
laws are just Law must be positive
1t must settle disputes. 1t must decide
questions Justice demands that eV-
erything be taken into consideration
environment, opportunity training.
needs. etc. This is impossible in legal
procedure. 1t would demand an aw-
f,il amount of refined machinery, such
machinery as is out of the question.
Law must so order the lives of citizens
as to conserve their happiness and Sc
curity 1t thus has certain categor1es
of crimes and offenseS into which II
places individuals so charged, ana
after trial, carried on by the use OF
certain other categories of evidence
and procedure, passes judgment ana
definitely settles the issues.
Must Be Guilty.
Crime is a bad thing. All crime is
had. and especially crime against the
person. No criminal should go unpun-
iShed, If the law can possibly appre-
hend him; And no innocent man man
should suffer, if the law can possibly
protect him. Until a man is proved
guilty in a court of law, he is to be
considered innocent. This Is MAXIM
of Anglo-Saxon jurisprudence NO
sensible person minimizes crime. 1t
is a terrible thing. But all people
worthy of consideration demand that
law be always sovereign, and that
courts and police be always actual and
positive forces.
There is a legal maxim to the effect
that no person can be so mean or
charged with so heirous crime as to
be without the jurisdiction CT the law
It will be readily conceived that only
upon such a basis can a state build
a system of law and Jurisprudence
which shall be adequate to the promo
ticn of liberty and justice. A system
Of legal administration which, in times
Of great stress and popular indigna-
fion fails to command respect, obe-
Isence and public cooperation. has
failed of its supreme purpose. Every
person living within a state, from the
highest to the lowest. from the great
est to the meanest, when suspected OF
or charged with a crime, must be tried
nv the calm, judicial process of the
rourts and. if found guilty, must be
n,nished by the laws of the land.
only thus may a state be civilized and
free.
In the southern states of this coun-
trv- the colored American seems to be
relegated to a position outside the pale
Of the law. Upon being charged with
an offence he is too often forthWltn
Ixrnched. In some cases the victim
fronfesses or is known to be guilty
THAT does not alter the matter. Law
end courts are for the purpose OF pun
ishing criminals, after due process Oh
legal trial
Lynchings.
I.ynchings are not confined to any
v,arficuIar offense In 1915 to october
II there were rs persons lynched in the
United States for the following Of