El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-09-30
ATTEMPT TO LYNCH OMAHA MAYOR
DRAWS ATTENTION TO SEVERAL EVILS

THE ATTEMPTED hanging Of mayor Edward P Smith Of
Omaha, Nebraska, by mob that the mayor was try
ing 10 prevent from lynching negro IS demonsra-
ton Of mass violence In the history Of ynchings there
are few instances of attacks public officials Police
chiefs sherffs judges and mayors, trying to prevent
Ivnchings usually have their point have been
pushed aside more OF less respectfully Such injuries
they have received have commonly been accidental and
incidental
The stringing up Of mayor Smith therefore, showed
greater degree Of awlesness than usually guilty
Of It was not accidental Men can't be hanged by other
men BY accident Doubtless the governor Of the state
the Judges the state supreme court would have suffered
the fate the mayor Of Omaha had they been in his
place Opposing such blind mob passion, public Off
cal would have stood chance.
This incident emphasizes the temporary hatred of law
and order which is of the characteristics Of mob
bent lynchng This mob knew its intent to be mur-
and quite coguzant Of the lawlessness Of its
whole procedure yet determined to carry out its
purpose that It was ready KILL and did attempt to kill
the highest public official Of big city who did no more
than Try uphold the law in accordance with the prov
of the law, at the dictate Of his OWE conscience in
fufIment Of his sworn duty The MOB also Iougn ana
willing kill the police Of Omaha who were also full
filling their duty in trying to keep the negro out
Of the mOb hands, the mayors life and restore order
Whv did this mob break loose? Why are lynchings 50
IN the United States? What shall be done to pre-
vent them?
Lynchings of negroes accused of attacks
common because the acts themselves frequent and be-
cause they inuate part Of the public Their anger IS
wiling brook investigation Of the circumstances so
rightly charged and mobs quite apt to hang the
innocent as the guilty The Omaha lynching Of
these aninegro affairs and the hanging OF the mayor was
probably the result of the supeuy engendered in the
mob because Of the nine hours resistance which the
thores had offered The burning Of the courthouse and
the resulting destruction of thousands Of unreplaceable
records incidental and comparatively minor acts Of
Iswlessness.
Lynengs into which the racial element does not enter
may be ascrbed little less to hot impulse and little
more TO Impotence With the .diatory processes Of the law
and the many loopholes which the law affords to unscpu
lous lawyers to the liberty Of defendants however
guilty they actually may BE- Our laws admirable in the
main sometimes offer technical advantages to the guilty
and sharp lawyers and easy going iues round out COM
bnaon that make trial farce and test the pa
tisnce Of Justice loving pubic there more swift
and adequate administration Of justice after the commits
sion Of crimes there would be fewer ynchngs This is
not defence Of lynchings but simple statement Of fact
Mobs often formed, break laws and rsk their own
lives IN order execute whom they believe to be
guilty Of crime when they would not do had they not
the uneasy feeling that otherwise the guilty might go
punished We very well that the American people
seem to be almost unknown outside this country Either
we have less self restraint than other people, which
are 10th believe have Of conflicting laws
whereby the guilty may profit and have profted to such
extent that the people hare been moved to take the
administration Of Justice out Of the hands of the courts
This is lamsntable and the because the mobs in
each instance have dgraced themselves shamed their
states and cast dscredit their country in the esta
ton Of foreign peoples.
As to punishment It is hard to punish adequately be-
cause Of the difficulty OF fixing blame It usually IS not
difficult to discover the leaders, the leaders often
merely give the MOB its first impulse ike start
ing great stone rolling down hill What happens after
ward is usually manifestation Of Impetus aggre
CATION efforts which individual effort plays
minor part That is why 1t is hard to fix blame and pun