The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-08-22
Bad Business.

The lynching of al I. w. w. official
at Butte, Mont. Wednesday, morning
is at once the latest and the ugliest
manifestation of aperil that must be
dealt with firmly and promptly by
State and federal authorities. The In
dustrial Workers of the World bear
an evil reputation, earned by the Jaw
lessness which almost unfai,ingly
marks their participation in labor dis
putes. Their wartime activities, to
most minds, hive grazed the edge OF
treason, if tley have not, indeed,
crossed the lire. The suspicion is wide
spread that heir current efforts to tic
up industry and stir up trouble have
been inspird by enemy influence. The
man Little, lynched at Butte, took a
leading par, the press dispatches
say, in the Arizona troubles and has
been making incendiary speeches a.
Butte. II one Of these he is quoted
as declatng that "if the mines are
taken urder federal control we will.
make it so hot for the government
that it gill not be able to send troops
to Fra,ce."
One can understand the resentment
crCatd in the breasts cf loyal Ameri-
cans ~ utterances like these accom-
panid by active efforts to foment in
| dustial strife and paralyze an in
dusty dOubly important in VAR times.
But the sober second thought teaches
| tha the resort to mob violence, even
Iginst men who are preaching law
lesness and violence, plays into their
hmds and promotes the evil cause in
nich they work. The pitting of law
hssness against lawlessness more
nan once has produced conditions re-
sembling civil war even in peace time.
GOvcrnment by the mob in time OF
war swiftly degenerates into anarchy.
If the 1. w. w. is seeking, as many
believe, to substitute anachy for or
der, and so destroy the republic, the
spread of the mob spirit and the adop-
ton Of mob methods by the friends o.
law and order is rather calculated to
advance than to block that sinister
aim.
The task of the federal government
will be made harder and it's troubles
be multiplied by this resort to lynch
law. The governments arm is long
1t is abundantly able to deal with the
I. w. w. Loyal Americans, in dis
tricts where treason or anarchy seem
ingly fOurishcs unchecked. have only
to be patient n little while and sup
port their local officers in legal meas
ures to protect the public safety while
the federal authorities gather their
evidence and move to the enforce
ment of order and justice. BY taking
the law into their own hands," "a
President Wilson wired the Arizona
SONSIuOr litSI IilOIltH, tney SCC exam
pies and establish precedents for the
lawless that not only are locally mis-
cheviOus, but nationally dangerous.
Order and discipline are crying
needs of the time. The mob spirit
should be rcsOlutely put down by local
and State authority. backed by loyal
and law-abiding citizens, whenever
and wherever it breaks out. The
;ravest mob offenses have been COM
mitted i'm the North and West, but the
recent lynching of negroes in Tangi-
oahos. scathingly denounced by Judge
Ellis yesterday, warns us that Louis
ana must mount guard, along with
he other States, against the mob
nisrule that would, if tolerated and
suffered to spread unchecked. lay the
foundations of national defeat and
disaster. Lynch law is as deadly "a
zoe i'm this critical hour as the I. w.
". enemy intrigue or u-boat fright
ncss.-Ncw Orleans Timcs-pica-
'une.