The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-06-03
<tic + lfiIf ] Leil
IS law Against Lynchins.

the coorfs took . case mn &
tempt netting out justics \
lynchtng parry. but nohosv
ever b found who remsrss!
any participant in An aifairs ~
court had to dismiss TIE i,s|a
~ . mystery.
. Ii recent years only Il. -,
OF the persons lynched M
accused Of violence against 49,
But no matter what thu 49,.
lynching is In direct opboelts-!
the principles OF American. ss..
ment. In no section Of ths es
try is lawless killing any lonsss
Tended. The governor Of 49,.
where lynching bees are ms
quent. is strongly opposed 4 "a.
violence, while the anti-lys,sf
bill before congress was drsftss u
Representative Dyer Of Mr..
the state listed next to CeorS;s
frequency Of lynchings
Law Makes Lynchirg Nrrs.
The bill presented by Represss,.
ative Dyer provides that anv a.
son involved in removal Of ~ ~
oner from custody Of an ono 4 :
the law will be heavily fined. n.
person is killed at the handa h.
mob OF three or more indiyldns,.
all concerned will be regardd !,
guilty Of murder and tried on nm.
charge in the federal courts. M,
thermore, in every case Of mhr.
full killing by a mob, the county !,
which the lynching occur ~
every county through which ~
victim is carried must forfeit IA.
900 as a fine.
Other provisions further seeun
the safety Of prisoners, notably ope
which allows a prisoner to demand
. transfer from state to fedenl
Jurisdiction if there is danger Of N
attack on his person. Inability Of
states to cope with lynching Is m.
tionwise. Even where states have
their own laws against mob At.
tack, and even when lynchings are
announced several days before.
hand. sheriffs and governors stand
aside and declare themselves help.
less. This failure of the state Is
the main reason why the federal
government has at last concerned
itself with the lynching propose.
ton.
The chief obstacle In the way d
congressional legislation is The
possibility that a national anti
lynching law might be found m
constitutional. The house judiciar,
committee decided this question L
its own satisfaction before it re
ported the bill favorably to b
placed on the calendar. Mainten
ance of order in ordinarily regard
ed as a state matter in which con
gress is not authorized to inter
fere. But the Judiciary committe
points out that the 18th amend
ment to the constitution, whic
provides protection of the law 70
every one, also provides that "coh
gress shall have power to enforc
by appropriate legislation the pro
visions of this article"
Laws similar to the anti-lynchin
bill which have been declared COZ
stitutional were quoted by men
bers of the committee. Mentid
was also made that such author
ties on constitutional law as el
President Taft, Attorney Gener'
Palmer and Charles Evans Hughe
former justice of the United STATE
supreme court, have urged COZ
gress to take federal action, an
| that every president since BENZ
min Harrison has expressed MIN
self strongly in favor OF a nations
anti-lynching law.
One side of the lynching ev
which is not touched in the pr
posed law is of great consequene
| to the nation. This is the ef1ect
mob outbreaks on the people WI
take part. Respectable cltizel
are converted into screaming lana
les and devise and carry out 70
lures which in a normal state
mind they would shudder 10 ies
about. Some of the atrociu'
which have been carried out are u
printable. Yet spectators con
from miles around as to a picnic
view the burnings and hanshl
with the same curious detachnel
that they would watch cat WIN
mouse. There have been many a
tempts to bring the people OF u
country to an understanding
the brutalizing effects OF MOP y
ton. The recognized fact that u
community gets bad name ~
trade suffers has not cut down U
lynching figures. A federal IL
with determined governme,,
back of it seems the only remed