The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-02-17
ANT|-LYNCHINC
BILL IS FACED
BY F|L|BUSTER
Southern Democrats Bitterly
Opposed to Measure Levy
ing Federal Fines -Republi-
cans Hesitate to Report Act.
OLD FEELINGS REVIVED
by MARK SULLIVAN


WASHINGTON, Feb. 17.-There are
signs that the Republicans wish that
they might be allowed to forget the
Dyer bill. which makes lynching
crime against the federal government.
calls on the federal courts to search
II out and punish it, and provides that
The county where a lynching takes
place shall pay fine of $4,000 to the
family of the victim. The bill passed
the house by vote roughly. of two
10 one. which is approximately the
same as the Republican majority.
The bill is now in the judiciary CON-
mittee of the senate. 1t may be
doubted whether it will ever appear
on the floor of the senate. If it does
appear. il may even more safely 1e
doubted that it will pass, or even.
come to vote.
There are Democratic senators who
feel so strongly about the bill thai
they will not hesitate to fillibuster
against it; and there are Republicans
who are so dubious about the merit
of the bill that they would not feel
resentful over a fillibuster in what
they regard as a good cause
Certainly it will be made clear to the
Republican leaders that if they hope
10 get their program of major legls-
lation such as the tariff, the treaties,
and the like, through at this session
hey had better not risk the loss ol
time certain to be incurred If the
anti-lynching bill is brought out
Revives Old Feelings.
The bill has revived feelings THAI
have been dormant in congress for
so years or more. The Democrats re
card it as of the same nature as the
Force" bills, fathered by Senator
Lodge and others Il generation ago,
which provided for the presence O.
federal soldiers at elections IN the
Southern states, TO compei those
states to permit the negro to vote.
1t was thought the spirit behind
these measures had been universally
recognized as a mistake. That spirit
was survival OF the bitterness OF the
civil war For a generation the more
enlightened theory has been that lhe
race problen, which Is sad ana dll-
2icult one, under any circumstances,
can &c best handled by the gradual
growth OF restraint and wisdom III
communities where it exists.
THAT ii is net helped, but on the
contrary is made more acute and pain
ru bv efforts TO Interfere from the
outside. esecially when the interfer-
cnre is accompanied by force. is &C
repted as The lesson OF experience.
REGARDED as impracticable.
Every person who opposes the Dyer
hfll deplores lynching, of course.
Lynching has already been under pro
cess Of cure in the South by the nat
ural growth Of public opinion against
IT, II is the North, in Chicago, Wash
inaton. and East st. Louis that the
worst race riots of recent years nave
occurred
Those who are most familiar with
southern conditions say the Dyer bill
would result, not in fewer lynchlngs,
hut in more III the state OF local feel
ing is such that the local county and
state officials cannot prevent or pun
ish lynching, the interference oil
The federal courts would merely make
that feeling more acute.
The fine of $4,000 on the county IN
which a lynching occurs, or on coun
~ through which a mob passed or
lis way to a lynching, would not De
practicable TO collect. All the federal
marshal could do would be TO SEIZE
the county court house, or the loca
confederate monument, and put 1t III
at auction; and nobody would risk the
unpopularity involved in becoming tht
purchaser.
Arguments Convincing
B All these arguments against th'
Dyer bill seem strongly convincing
They do not come from Democrat
alone. Among. the speeches mad
against the bill in the house. three o
The best were made by Republicans
who come from Maine. Pennsylvania
and Nebraska, respectively.
It is difficult TO escape the feeling
that the main purpose of the Republ1
cans in initiating and pushing III
a Dyer bill was not SO much concern 10
the negro in the southern states a
concern for the considerable negr
vote in some northern states that ar
politically doubtful, such as Indian
and Ohio.
The Republican organization is 70
lowing curious course about th
negro. Part of it is enlightened an
has the purpose of furthering whit
Republican party in the south. B
official party action they have gon
far towards ending the old "colored
delegate scandal.
Also this is the first Republican az
ministration that has not been mari
ed by the appointment of negro pos
masters in communities where sue
appointments cause race feeling.
At the same time they promote th
Dyer bill, which is aimed in the con
mon judgment to placate the negr
vote in the north. Aside from SCI
tional feeling several opponents of th
DYER bill characterize 1t as an e.
treme invasion of the federal govern
ment in field where the state ha
always had completely to itself til
administration of local justice.-Cop
right 1922 by the New York Evenin
Post, Inc.