The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-07-30
WILSON MAKES
APPEAL AGAINST.
MOB VIOLENCE
President Issues A Personal
Note To All Citizens Ask
ing For Patriotic Forbear-
ance.
tpv Associated Press to The Ranneri

WASHINGTON July 26-President
Wilson today In personal statement
addressed to his fellow countrymen,
denouncing mob spirit and mob ac-
tion, called upon the nation to show
the world that while 1t fights for Dem.
ocracy on foreign fields 1t is not des-
troying democracy at home.
The president referred not alone to
mob action against those suspected of
being enemy aliens or enemy sympa-
thizers; he denounced most emphat.
ically mob action of all sorts, espec-
tally lynchings, and while he did not
refer specifically to lynchings Of ne
groes in tho South. 1t 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
negroes. as we'll as attacks upon those
suspected of being enemies or sympa-
thizers, have been used by the Ger
man propaganda throughout Central
and South America as well as in Eu.
rope, to contend that the pretensions
of the United States as champion of
democracy are sham. Deeply con-
cerned by the situation. the president
decided to address his fellow country
men and to declare that every mob
contributes to German lies about the
United States what her most gifted
liars cannot improve upon by way of
calumny."
.Triie, presidents statement in full
follows:
my fellow countrymen:
81 take the liberty of addressing you
upon a subject which SO vitality af-
fects the honor of the nation and the
very character and integrity of our in
stitutions that trust you will think
me justified in speaking very plainly
about it. ~
81 allude to the mob spirit which
has recently here and there very fire.
quently shown its head against us. not
in any single region. but In many and
widely separated parts Of the country.
There have been many lynchings. and
every one of them has been blow at
the heart of ordered law and humane
justice. No man who loves America,
no man who really cares for her fame
and honor and character, or who is
truly loyal to her institutions, can
justify mob action while the courts Of
justice are open and the governments
of the states and the nation are ready
and able to do their duty. We are at
this very moment fighting lawless pas.
sion. Germany has Outlawed herself
among the nations because she has
disregarded the sacred obligations Of
law and has made lynchers Of her ar.
mics. Lynchers emulate her disgrace.
full examples. IL for my part. am an
xious to see every community in Am.
erica rise above that level, with pride
and a. fixed resolution which no men
or set of men can afford to despise.
1--WE proudly claim to the champions
deed and in truth. let us see to It that
we do not discredit our own. say
plainly that every American who
takes part in the action of a mob or
gives any sort of countenance Is no
true son of this great democracy. but
its betrayer. and does more to discred.
1t her by that single disloyalty to her
standards Of law and of right than the
words of her statesmen or the sacri.
fees of her heroic boys In the trench.
es can do to make suffering peoples
believe her to be their saviour. How
shall we commend democracy to the
acceptance of other people. II we dis
grace our own by proving that It, is.
after all, no protection to the weak?
Every mob contributes to German lies
about the United States what her
most gifted liars cannot improve up
on 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
sclemnly beg that the governors of all
the states, the law officers of every
community, and. above all. the men
and women of every community insthe
United States, all who revere Ameri.