The sun., 1919-10-05
Russia. Hungary
and &c rm a ~
Have Innumer-
able Sc mi Pr
vate Tribunals
Melting I. Justice
in Some Cases S,
Paying Grudges
in Others.
BY F. cUNLIFFE.owEN.

III YNCH law, of which we have
had such an edifying mani
festation at Omaha, is described
In dictionaries and encyclopedias as
"5ustice, or what is thought to be
Justice. for the punishment of often
ders by a summary procedure. ignor-
ing, or even contrary, to the strict
forms Of law" Its application is by
TO means confined to the suppression
Of members of the negro race In
America charged with attacks upon
their white fellow citizens. as some
would have us believe.
II was freely employed by the pio-
neer settlers of the Western States
and Territories in dealing with the
cesperadoes who had been attracted
thither by the belief that they would
DO beyond the reach of the restraining
hand Of Uncle Sam and free to lead
q life that can best be described as
Bolshevist-a word which now EN-.
In fact, 1t was by means of lynch law
that the Vigilantes put an end to the
reign of terror which prevailed for
q time in San Francisco and else
where in the far Western States after
the opening up of the gold fields there
in 1919. Lynch law has been on so
many occasions attended by circum-
stances Of mob savagery and shock
ing cruelty that the very name has
become synonymous with that Of out
rage
Disorder Rules Everywhere.
What with the four years Of the great
world war and with the revolutions
and popular disturbances that have
followed in Germany. in the former
HapSburg empire, in Russia, in Fin
land, and indeed throughout the whole
OF eastern Europe save Greece, where
Premier Venizelos has maintained
marvellous degree Of law and Of order.
there has been an almost complete
breakdown Of the ordinary procedure
Of Justice. Life and property are no
longer safe. The authority of State
and municipal government is derided
and s'no longer carries the slightest
weight. Dame Justice has disap-
peared from iier pedestal. Cutie c2t-
uralIy all the criminal classes and also
those whose evil instincts under
normal conditions are held in check
by fear of punishment and of social
obloquy, are taking advantage Of the
situation, aided and abetted by the
birds OF prey. of the felon scum of
every race and cline, who have
fiocked from the uttermost parts OF
the earth to central and eastern Eu-
rope, in order to join IN the saturnalia
Of lust and plumber.
Since ordinary law and Justice to-
day are nonresident in the countries
above mentioned 1t is quite natural
that lynch law should have made its
appearance upon the scene. From
Russia come appalling stories Of pun
ishments inflicted by village "Mirs'' or
Communes upon thieves and incen-
Diaries, while in Germany and in the
countries formerly embraced in the
federation known as the Dual Empire,
the r.svehmgericht," which played so
important role there In the Middle
Ages and also in the decades imme-
diately following the terrible Thirty
Years War, has been revived. ~Per-
haps the word revived" does not
quite At the case. For. in certain
respects it has never entirely ceased
to function, especially among the aris-
tocracy, where 1t has been employed
TO punish those who were either be-
yond the reach Of the law or else
those whose family escutcheon 1t was
desired to protect from the indelible