Evening star., 1921-11-01
REPORTS ON BILL
TO 0HA[T[YNCH|NG
Urged by Majority Called Un-
constitutional by Minority,
of House Committee.

Majority and minority reports from
the House judiciary committee ex-
pressed decidedly divergent views on
the anti-lynching bill now before
Congress. This bill is fathered by
Representative Dyer Of Missouri. re-
publican. who will ask a special rule
for It's early consideration. 1t would
| wipe out lynchings with heavy penal
ties to be imposed on persons par
ticlpatins and officers charged with
enforcing the peace. Counties in
| which persons are put to death by
| mops also would be subjected to
heavy fines in the federal court.
Citing the demand in the platform
adopted by the last republican ma
| tional convention to end lyaching,
| address to Congress- to wipe out
| this barbaric stain," and the appeal of
President Wilson in 1918 to citizens
to help stop mob law. the majority
! report. prepared by Mr.. Dyer, de-
| clared that these and similar appeals
have gone for naught and lynchings
continue"
Called "COwardly Crime"
Congress must provide the means
for ending this cowardly crime" the
report continued. '1t is in punish
ing those who take part in it or who
permit II.
The prevalence in many states of
the spirit which ~tolerates lynching,
accompanied too often with inhuman
cruelty, and the inability or unwil-
hngness of the public authorities to
punish the persons guilty of this
, crime. threaten very seriously the
future peace of the nation. LynchinG
blotS our fair name as nation, for
we cannot claim to be civilized unless
our laws are respected and enforced
aud our citizens secured against the
hideous cruelties of which we are
| constantly furnishing. fresh ex-
amples."
The report added that while it had
been impossible to get accurate figures,
available records showed 1924 persons
/ had been lynched in the last thirty
years. Of which number 2,522 were ne
groeS.
| Declaring the bill unconstitutional. the
| minority report, presented by Repre-
sentative Summers, democrat, Texas,
contended it would tend to destroy the
| sense Of local responsibility without
adding to protection OF the, people.
| This bill, in the Judgment of the
minority. is without constitutional
warrant" said the report. ut is de-
philosophy of our system of govern
| ment. and within the limit of its ef-
! fectivenness. if il should be held con-
stitutional. would be destructive of that
system.
| "If enacted and operative it would
! not add to the protection of person or
general efficiency of government. nor
strengthen the relationship between
| the federal government and the states.
On the contrary, this proposed inter-
| vention OF the federal government di-
rected against local power. suppla ntirG
and superseding the sovereignty Of the
| states. would tend to destroy that sense
of local responsibility.
| Challenges State Efficiency.
'This bill. challenging as it does the
| relative governmental efficiency of the
states and the integrity of purpose of
| their governmental agencies, placing
the federal government. as it does. in
| the attitude of an arbitrary dictator
| assuming coercive power over the
states. their officers and their citizens
| in matters of local police control. would
! do Incompatible harm to the spirit of
mutual respect and trustful co-opera-
tion between the federal government and
the states essential to the efficiency of
government"