The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1921-06-02
COURAGE TO STAND FOR LAW

Methodist preacher at Hatties-
burg brings attention to a classic
incident illustrating the folly, the
absurdity and the utter criminali-
ty of a mob of lynchers.
A man named Jones shot anoth-
er mans wife. Evidently he had
invaded the home. The husband
Jones. Jones was taken to hos
pital- He was guarded there by
a deputy sheriff. The hospital in
Hattiesburg is under the auspices
of the Methodist Church.
DR.. G. S. Harmon, a minister, is
in general charge of the hospital.
A mob came. They attempted to
invade the hospital. The preach
er defied them and told them he
would shoot the first man that
came up the steps. Others enter
ed the rear and met "a deputy sher-
iff.
This hospital was filled with
sick people. Doubtless some had
just undergone operations, others
were in danger of death. The
slightest excitement might have
been fatal to them. A lot of
young women nurses were in the
hospital These instances did
not appeal to would-be lynchers.
Invading a hospital ordinarily
is about as easy as invading a
girls school. They did not choose
to wait and have it out with the
two-gun sheriff. The preacher
stood in their way and they de-
parted.
If it had not been for the min
lister there would have been a riot
and CONSERVATION throughout the
building; maybe some one would
have been shot. Certainly more
supreme contempt and careless
disregard of the rights of other
people was never exhibited than
than this.
What cared the members of the
mob if women were in the hospit-
al? They were out to vindicate
the majesty of anarchy. They
were out to take the law in their
own hands. Thy were out to
break the law.
1t is a pity that all of our sher-
ifs did not have the foresight and
the exalted courage of this Meth
odist preacher.
Lynching is harmful because it
is anarchy. Tell man in a mob
that he and the Bolshevists are
on the same lines and he
would resent it. Tell him that he
is an anarchist and he will want
to fight.
There can be nothing without
law. Law is everything that is
permanent. Nothing succeeds
unless it follows the law of it's be-
ing. Human society, if it's MEM
bers are to be other than wild
beasts, must follow a system of
laws which men agree are best
fitted for the perpetuity of the
race. The government where ev-
cry man is law unto himself
ceases, and when government
ceases every man is ready to fly
at every mans throat or run away
and hide in the wilderness.
Lynching is not deterrent to
crime. Convict a man in court
Of law in an orderly way and let
that man begin the sentence, the
influence is felt i'm community.
After Jones is tried and sent
where he belongs an effort should
be made to detect those who inva-
ded the hospital and punish them
for trespass, at least.
Members of a mob bent on
lynching are not the only anarch-
lists. It has become the fashion
Of late when business. financial
and similar conventions are held
for the committee on hospitality
to break the law in providing re-
freshments for visitors.
There is no one that insists
more strongly on integrity, both
business and moral, than bankers,
and yet at a recent meeting, not
many miles from Memphis, two
rooms were set aside for the dis
pensation of liquor. This liquor
was bought from bootleggers.
Now if the bootleggers had
been caught they would have been
sent over the road. # these men
were sent over the road the COM
mittee that did the buying ought
to accompany them.
It is not seeming for large en-
ployers and men in high position
10 dissertate to their younger en-
ployers on the necessity Of integ-
rity and observance Of all the a..
menities and then proceed to be
! party themselves to q violation
If the law.
Now and then some one ex-
presses = fear Of the proletariat.
Men gather together and de-