Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-07-30
Mob Violence Is Un-American
And HELPS the German Cause

VERY American who is truly devoted to the
II principles for which his country is fighting
- will respond with deep earnestness to Presl-
dent Wilson's appeal for organized and militant pub
lie sentiment against 'the mob spirit which has re-
Gently shown its head amongst not in any single
section but in many and widely separated parts
of the country" Deplorable at all times, mob
action is unspeakably in the midst of our war
against Prussian lawlessness and savagery. We
have sent a million and more of sons and
brothers three thousand miles across the sea to
deal iron justice to that brutal lyncher of cviliza-
ton, HohenzoIlern Germany. We are mastering
millions from the flower of the nations YOUTH
and are bearing the sacrifice and sorrow with en-
nobled hearts-for what purpose? To save our
shores and to save mankind from that huge, blood
lustfuI mob whose leader is German militar1sm
What a betrayal. then, it is of our principles and
our cause when the spirit of the mob-which is the
spirit of the Huns-bursts forth and finds any
countenance in an American community
A mob is Hun-like. 1t is Hun-like il its out
lawry in its cruelty. in its essential cowardice 1t
treats solemn statutes as scraps of paper 1t in
vades the realm of justice with brutal passion 1t
puts might above right and falls upon its helpless
oftentimes its innocent, prey after the manner or
the Kaisers british gangs Lynchers, as the Pres-
dent declares, emulate Germanys disgraceful ex-
ampIe;" and he adds with ringing truth:
81 can never accept any man as the cham
pion of liberty either for ourselves or for the
world who does not reverence and obey the
laws of our own beloved land, whose laws We
ourselves have made. He has adopted the
standards of the enemies OF his country,
whom he affects to despise."
The force of this truth is is in no wise lessened
by the fact that enemy aliens or German sympa-
thizers in our midst oftentimes act in way that
sorely tries our self control and sometimes act with
bold crimes against the nation. 1t is every Ameri
cans duty stand vigilantly guard against pro-
Germanism Of every sort and to bring to justice
every spy or traitor whom he may discover. But
let him bring them to ordered JUSTICE like true
American not to mob barbarism like Prussian
butcher So with crime and criminals generally.
To meet them with mob violence is to place one
self on criminal plane and to foment rather than
deter them. II lacked laws and effective means
of orderly Justice there would be for some
cases of mob procedure. But have ample laws
and entirely dependable means for dealing with all
offenders. whether they be pro-Germans scheming
for the Kaiser other criminals outraging our
sense of humanity; the former class is covered by
the Espionage act and kindred measures adopted by
Congress since entered the war; the latter is
covered by the oldest statutes of every State and
of the common country. There is no shadow of an
excuse therefore descending to the level of the
Hun and other criminal types in order to punish
crime. That is grossly false to American ideals,
anu as the President stirringly mo who
loves America, no who really cares for her
fame and honor and character, or who is truly
loyal to her institutions, justify mob action
while the courts of justice and the
ments of the State and the nation ready and
able to do their duty"
Besides these admonitions of basic principle,
there is now a peculiarly practical and urgent
why loyal Americans everywhere should stand mill
family against violence. That lies in the
fertile material which ynchings in the United States
AFFORD German propagandists, both in their own
country and abroad, particularly in Russia and in
Latin-America. We know from our experience both
before and after entrance into the how
adroitly the German propagandsts work. They
can make mountains of mole hills where acts of
another nation concerned; and they make
mole hills OF mountains where the deeds of their
own criminal autocracy involved Thus the Kali
sers press agents and emissaries seize upon every
incident of awessness in the United States argue
that our professed devotion to the of justice
and democracy is utterly hypocritical- They point