The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-07-27
MOB ACTION IS
DENOUNCED BY
PRES. WILSON
Pleads for Protection of Democ-
racy
FOR LAW AND JUSTICE
We Cannot con1mendyD dyDemoeracy to
other People II We Dis
grace Our Own.


Washington, July 26.-President
Wilson yesterday, in personal state
ment, addressed to his fellow country
men, denouneing mob spirit and mob
action, called upon the nation to show
the world that while it fights for de-
mooracy on foreign fields, 1t is not
destroying. democracy at home. The
presidents statement follows;
my Fellow Countrymen:-
Il take the liberty of addressing
you upon a subject which so vitality
affects the honor OF the nation and
the very character and integrity of
our institutions that trust you will
think me justified in speaking very
plainly about it,
Il allude to the mob spirit which
has recently here and there very fire.
quently shown its head amongst us,
not in any single region, but in many
and widely separated parts OF the
country. There has been many
lynchings, and everyone Of them has
been a blow at the heart Of ordered
law and humane Justice, No man who
loves America, no man who really
care for her fame and honor and
character, or who is truly loyal to
her institutions. can justify. mob ac.
tion while the courts of justice are
open and the governments OF the
states and the nation are ready and
able 10 do their duty. We are at
this very moment fighting lawless
passion. Germany has outlawed her
self among the nations Because she
has disregarded the sacred obllga-
tons OF law and has made lynchers
of her armies. Lynchers emulate her
disgraceful example. l. for my part,
am anxious TO see eyry community
in America rise above that level. with
pride and a fixed resolution which no
man or set OF men can afford to de.
spise.
"We proudly claim to he the cham
pions of democracy. II we really
are. in deed and in truth, let us see
to it that we do not diseredit our
own saw plainly that every Amer
lean who takes part in the action OF
mob or gives any sore OF coun
! ,enance is no true son OF this great
democracy. but its betrayer. and does
more to discredit her by that single
disloyalty to her standards OF law
and right than the words OF her
/ statesmen or the sacrifices of her
heroic boys in the trenches can do
TO make suffering people believe her
to be their savior. How shall we
commend democracy to the accept
ance of other peoples, If we disgrace
our own by proving that il Is, after
all no protection to the weak? Every
mob contributes to German lies about
he United States, what her most
gifted liars cannot improve upon by
the way of calumny. They can at
least say that such things cannot
happen in Germany except in times
of revolution, when law is swept
away
II therefore very earnestly and
solemnly beg that the governors OF
all the states, the law officers OF
every community. and, above all, the
men and women of every community
in the United States, all who revere
America and wish to keep her name
without stain or reproach, will co
operaie-not passively merely bu
actively. and watchfully-to maze al
end of this disgraceful evil II can
not live where the community does
not countenance it.
81 have called upon the nation (
put It's great energy into this wal
and It has responded-responded will
spirit and a genius for action tina
has thrilled the world. ! now cal
upon it, upon its men and womei
everywhere, to see to it that its lawt
are kept inviolate, its fame untar
nished. Let us show our utter con
tempt for the things that have made
this war hideous among the wars o
history by showing how those VIII
owe liberty and right and justice an,
are willing t. lay down their live
for them upon foreign fields stan,
I ready also to illustrate to all man
kind, their loyalty to all things a
home which they wish 10 see estat
:. lshed everywhere as a blessing AM
4 protection to the peoples who hav
n never known the privilege Of libert
= and self-government.
o 81 can never accept any man as
!. champion Of liberty, either ~, oul
, selves or for the world, who does nc
o reverence and obey the laws of on
own beloved land, whose laws we on
r selves have made. He has adopte
If the standards of the enemies of hi
,t country. whom he affects to despis
Woodrow WILSON,