The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-11-02
LAW AGAINST LYNCHING.

A Bill is now before the lower
house of congress looking to the pre-
vention of lynching. The bill has
been introduced by one of the repre-.
sentatives from Missouri. 1t seeks to
make good the republican campaign
pledge that such legislation will be
adopted as will do away with the
lynching evil.
In brief, it is proposed to make
lynching an offense against federal
law, triable in the federal courts. Not
only those who are engaged in the
lynching, but officers of the law who
either are parties to lynching, or
who negligently permit person to
be lynched, are punishable under the
proposed law. In addition the county
in which the lynching occurs will be
liable to the administrator or per-
sonal representative of the person
iynched in the sum of ten thousand
dollars.
It will of course be argued that
the adoption of the law will be an
invasion of states rights. Perhaps
so, but the states have proved them
selves unable to cope with the evil.
Not only is that true in the South, it
is true likewise in the North. Be-
cause of the fact that lynchings take
place generally at times when the
whole populace is infamed, it is diff
ficult to secure impartial jurors and
a fair trial in the state courts Of the
parties accused. The trial of those
charged under the proposed law will
not be in foreign jurisdiction, even
though in. the federal court. The trial
will of course be in the state, or DIS
tr;ct,-- where the offense takes place
c2d before jurors drawn from the
state, or district, in which the offense
is alleged to have been committed.
The jurors before whom the case
will be tried, while being from the
stste or district, will not be from the
vicinity in which the Of
fense occurs, and, therefore, there
will be opportunity to obtain men of |
unbiased judgment for the trial. For
this reason we favor the enactment
Of the law. It matters little whether
4 person accused of crime is tried in
one court or another, so long as he
IS given a fair trial. While he is en-
titled to fair trial, the State, or
The public, is also entitled to the
same kind of trial. If the states are
mpotent to pass laws which will
BRING offenders to justice, and such
has proved to be the case with re-
gard to lynchers, then we favor their
rial in jurisdiction where they
nay be punished if found guilty.
States rights may be all right, but
We imagine that a great many
wrongs are covered under the plea.
We especially favor that provision
If the proposed law which would
punish officers who do not defend
her prisoners, and who either
trough negligence or design play
nto the hands of men who have lost
hci: reason. Fear of punishment for
;uch an offense, we imagine, would
lave great deal of influence on
hose officers who are disposed to
reat the laws obligations lightly. /;
We have never thought much of
tates' rights, but we do believe in
he principle that man has right
o be tired before he is punished;
md we believe too that those who
axe the lives of men without trial
hould be punished. Any law which
these two things is better
han anything else we have had in
hose hundred and more years, and
ya should he Glad To coo II enantad