The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-03-23


but we do not find lynching in coun-
ty with large number of people.
Why? Because in a large county
nine-tenths of the people are cool, not
being wrought up and excited and. the
jury does not have to be drawn from
the mob and, its friends and, sympa-
thiZers.
In small weak county the peoples
sympathies are so interviewer with
blood and interest. that it would be
miracle to select twelve men without
getting a friend, or an enemy, on the
jury.
Where a man knows if he lynches
or takes part in lynching he has got
to face twelve cool and just men, you
find no lynching.
When you enlarge the county popu
laticn you take from the mob their
power or protection in crime what
ever the crime may be-lynching is
not the only crime committed in a
small county.
You will find by looking at the coun-
ty records that lynching increases in
the degree that the population is re-
6uced below a certain minimum re-
CARELESS of square miles. When the
governmental check begins to weaken,
lynching begin to occur, and when it
snaps in county republic, civilization
in that republic is lost.
Lynching is civilizations most
deadly peril and its cause has stumped
the best American brains for over 80
years. Lynching records proper date
from 1882.
AS lynching is known as a special
American institution and is practiced
only in America, we are forced to rec
ognize the fact that, a government
can be too large or too small-just as
anything else.
Under state rights we find that
within our states we have something
like 5000 sovereign republics-three
times as many governments as there
are on the face of the earth outside of
America, and lynching occurs only in
the weak counties and, as jurisdiction
in a civil suit cannot be had outside of
county, nor an indictment be had
outside of the county where the crime
is committed, nor juryman serve on
a jury outside of his county, we are
forced to recognize that there can be
no doubt that the cause of lynching
is the weakness of the county govern
ment, in a state. in America, where
lynching takes place.
A lynching has never been reported
in a strong county government, in this
nation or in any other strong govern
ment, in this world. You have in your
power the publicity that can force
state acts, or federal act that will
not only stop the sinful, criminal
wasteful and extragant cost of main,
tanning the superauous jails, court.
houses, ETC., among 5000 jails, 5000
chaingants, 5000 courthouses, 5000
sheriffs, an army of bailiffs, 5000 ordi
naries, an army of jurors, an army Of
grand jurors, an army of tax collec
tors, an army of tax receivers, ar
army of tax boards. But stop lynch
ing and save civilization.
1t is due your readers, yourself. mt
and civilization that the facts b.
known. Please publish this letter ant
send me copy of the paper, and oblige
Sincerely yours.
w. E. Wimpy.
Charleston, Ga. March IL.
Mr.. Wimpy's article, which we crit
icised, was headed "Lynching one evi
of the small county government" an
argued, as he partly states in tn
foregoing, that. a reason for lyncher
being immune that in a small count,
(and by small we infer he meant pop
ulation as well as area) was that PEG
! pie were so well acquainted with eacl
other, that they had a family fee1in
for each other, or as he states also il
the foregoing, that lynchers can't
convicted because they are sure
have at least one friend on the jury.
| If such be the case, why is man i
small county ever convicted of an
crime? 1t is as easy to get a frien
on the jury for murderer or a robbie
as for lyncher. Yet, if Mr.. Wimp
will study some more statistics, h
will find that the small counties hav
an enviable record for law and ordel
Also, why does not his rule apply t
murder in counties of "say, 10000
inhabitants? Why is it that me
commit murder or other felonies
New York and other great cities, de
spite the fact that they are almos
certain to face a jury made up &
twelve cool and just men,?
The state of Florida has four G
FIVE hundred times the area of Coo
county, ILL.,, yet in the city of Chieag
there are committed many times NOR
/ crimes than in Florida. The state c
! Georgia has more than a thousan
times the area of New York count.
New York, yet in the course of yea
there are more murders in New Yor
city than in Georgia.
Mr.. Wimpy doesn't note that til
equivalent of the county exists in eve
ry country in civilization. Americ
takes its system of counties frol
England, whose counties or shire
were first marked out with the swor