The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-07-26
President Wilson Issues
Statement DenOuncing
Mob Spirit
DEEPLY CONCERNED
BY THE SITUATION
Mob Spirit "A Blow at the Heart Of
Ordered Law and Human Justice -
Had Lynching of Negroes in Mind
Among Other Disorders.

WASHINGTON, July 26.-President
Wilson today, in a personal statement,
addressed to his fellow countrymen, de-
nouncing mob spirit and mob action, called
upon the nation to show the world that
while it fights for democracy on foreign
fields, it is not destroying democracy at
home The President referred not alone
to mob action against those suspected OF
ers he denounced most emphatically mob
action of all sorts, especially lynchings,
and while he did not refer specifically
to lynchings of Negroes in the south, it
| is known that he included them in his
characterization of mob spirit as "a blow
at the heart of ordered law and humane
Justice"
1t is known that the lynchings of Ne
groes, az well as attacks upon those sus-
| pected of being enemies or sympathVers,
| have been used by the German propagan
da throughout Central and South America
as well as in Europe, to contend that the
| pretensions Of the United States as a cham
1 pion of democracy are sham
\ Deeply concerned by the situation, the
President decided to address his fellow
countrymen, and to declare that every
mob contributes to German lies about the
United States what her most gifted liar'
cannot improve upon by way of calumny
The Presidents statement in full fol
lows:
My Fellow Countrymen:-
| take the liberty of addressing you up
on a subject which so vitality affects tn
honor of the nation and the very char
acter and integrity of our institution
that l trust you will think me iustife,
in speaking very plainly about it.
/ allude to the mob spirit which ha
recently here and there very frequentl,
shown its head amongst us, not in an,
single region, but in many and widely sep
arated parts of the country. There hav
been many lynchings, and every one o
them has been blow at the heart of OF
4 defed law-aad humane jtsAtiees@No nal
who loves America, no man who real
cares for her fame and honor and charaC
ter. or who is truly loyal to her institu
tions, can justify mob action while tn
courts of justice are open and the gov
| ernments of the states and the natio
are ready and able to do their duty. w
are at this very moment fighting lawles
r passion. Germany has outlawed herse
among the nations because she has dii
regarded the sacred obligations of law an
has made lynchers of her armies Lynel
crs emulate Der disgraceful example
for my part, am anxious to see every con
munity in America rise above that leve
t with pride and fixed resolution which n
man or set of men can afford to despis
We proudly claim to be the champion
of democracy. If we really are. in dee
and in truth, let us see to it that we d
not discredit our own. / say plainly ths
slevery American who takes part in the a
ltion of mob or gives any sort of eoul
tenance is no true son of this great demo
lacy, but its betrayer, and does more
discredit her by that single disloyalty
her standards of law and right, than Il
words of her statesmen or the sacrific
of her heroic boys in the trenches can ,
to make suffering peoples believe her
he their savior. How shall we CONNER
democracy to the acceptance of other pc
pies, if we disgrace our own by provil
that it is, after all, no protection to Il
weak Every mob contributes to Germ;
lies about the United States, what h
most gifted liars cannot improve upon
the way of calumny. They can at lea
say that such things cannot happen
Germany except in times of revolutio
when law is swept away!
| therefore very earnestly and solemn
beg that the governors of all the state
the law officers of every community, an
ihove all, the men and women OF eve
community in the United States, all w
revere America and wish to keep her mar
ne without stain or reproach, will coop,
IN ate-not passively merely, but actively a
ut watchfully-to make an end of this d
graceful evil. 1t cannot live where t
ny community does not countenance it.
IL / have called upon the nation to T
n. its great energy into this war and it |
nd responded-responded with spirit and
N. genius for action that has thrilled t
ry world. | now call upon it, upon its m
uonoap coo - - -