The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-12-30
|a.S Gr,rent0 Comment
AfEA RyUlaAer Thomas Mis-.
* Vp&Hve sERvce
\ NUN oERkEIErs CALIFORNIA
LYNCH LAW AND THE PRoFlrEER
RyWaHer Thon1dsM

aHIt
LYNCH LAW AND THE PROFITEER
The whole West Coast country was
talking about the lynching at Santa
Rosa The glee with which the word
was passed on that three men had
been lynched reminded one of the
gloating satisfaction with which a
Jungle tiger licks his chops, standing
over his bloody feast. A crime, Sc
ries of crimes, revolving, inexcusable,
loatbsome had been committed. Three
meI had been arrested, charged with
being among the criminals. They had
been identified by persons claiming
to have been their victims. They were
in Jail awaiting the regular processes
of the law. Then the mob came, the
officers surrendered, the community
stood by, long lines of high power
cars, the presence and connivance of
"our very best citizens" and the be-
trayal of the dignity of a great state,
and the hanging of accused but un-
tried and unconvicted human beings
was the result.
The Governor of the state has said
that the county officials should act.
Leading citizens who witnessed the
performance neglected to take the
numbers of the cars and are unable
to identify any of the participants.
County officers declare themselves
helpless. and lynch law is supreme.
The press assumes the attitude of a
proud and senseless mother dealing
with mischievous child, part of the
time she scolds him for his irregular
tiles and all of the time she laughs
at his pranks, indirectly encouraging
his future offences.
The police department is to be in
vestigated. Other offenders are to
be sought after. THE HOWARD
STREET SHACK WHERE THE
WRONGS WE'RE DONE is SPOKEN
OF AS A WE'LL KNOWN RESORT
WHERE THE INNOCENT HAD
BEEN LURED TO- THEIR RUIN
AND THE LOATHSOME BUSINESS
HAD BEEN CARRIED ON. BUT
so FAR NO ONE HAS ASKED WHO
OWNS THE SHACK, WHO PAYS
THE TAXES, WHO COLLECTS THE
RENT OR WHO WAS THE LAND
LORD RESPONSIBLE FOR PRO
VIDING SUCH A RESORT AND
WHENCE CAME HIS POWER TO
PROTECT SUCH. A. PLACE IN THE
CENTER OF A GREAT CITY, UN-
DER THE EYES OF THE POLICE,
WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF ITS
CITIZENS AND IN DEFIANCE OF
ITS LAWS. F nql'saqf ~
No one can be found base enough
to defend or excuse the crime with
which these men were charged, but
the law provides that no man shall
be held to be a criminal or shall be
treated as a criminal without trial in
open court, and this law has been
provided because it is not safe to re-
fer to the judgment of a frenzied
mob the question of the guilt or the
innocence of any one
Our country has an unenviable rec
ord in the matter of mob law and of
framed-up dynamite charges as the
basis of complaints for prosecution
in the courts and of lawless outrages
in defiance of the courts. Our coun-
try has refused to recognize the gov
ernments of other countries, notably
Mexico and Russia, unless there shall
first be established within these
countries a responsible government.
What about California, Washington,
Montana, Minnesota, Colorado, Kan
sas, Texas, Missouri? What about
the United States?
What shall be said concerning the
lynchings, the burnings at the stake,
midnight murders and the connivance
of the public authorities in promot-
ing and defending these lawless acts?
What about the soldier burned at
the stake in st. Louis? What about
the twenty men shot down in Butte?
The framed-up street car riots in
Denver, framed up with the conni-
vance and support of the mayor, the
governor and the supreme power be-
hind the throne and on the throne.
the Chamber of Commerce. In Dem
ver the usual record is being made
no arrests for the murderers. They
were imported thugs, armed for the
purpose of slaughter at the state ar
mory and by the public authorities.
Then there are the frame-up in the
hop fields riot and the Preparedness
Parade explosion of California, with
their victims now serving lifetime
sentences in the penitentiary. The