The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-01-21
PROPOSED FEDERAL
ANTI-LYNCHING BILL

Wheeling. w. Va. Jan. 70, lSZ1'
Editor IntclligrnCcr:--
In IN editorial Of Thursday las'' II"
IuiulIigon,rr raised three Issues co"
corning the Dyer Anticipating DILL
measure, draigncd to nuke lynchinR pS
4 mob a federal crime. The Issues were
Firstly. doubt M to the constltutiohNh'
~ of the hIll: secondly. doubt hS 10 'no
necessity for It's pnsanEc. thlrdiy' uo""'
ua Ia It's practical effects.
Regarding. It's constitutionnlity' ""'
.niInnI Attorney General iotI. Sup
luII"d 10y Attorney General DhuKhel'y'
~ IA lengthy argument before 'h" h""'"
,,,rr,,IIro ON the judiciary. held TINT
tho hin was constitutional III oNo'S
urrIiruLtr Hon Mu"rcnrld At"ry. II
r,r,urr urrmdrut Of tho American Ear
.n.r,tiuu. writing to the nh"vo COM
mIitrr r,yr. Il think TINT 1t nh""lh
rr rupruIlrd under ia" NTH nn'nh-
mont to tho C0nHtiiuiion Of tho UnIl"h
.IuIr,. an yvolI na under tho fourteenth.
. ,II,i.nuu nr rlmlInT oriuI"nm from other
, able constitutional lawyers could D."
raven. W. feel TINT 'hIn pha"" OF ,.o
/ matter w. fairly mmm"d up by tho
! New York Evening F"ni or December
/ ",th wh,u II 'nyH In pnrt: IT Will DC
/ for the nuprrmo court to dcClh" whether
. Irtr rInruurd federal Huti-lynChinV In
d valid tIndcr the CGnHtitutlOn. Thht j"
= what the puIr"mr court lH for.
AY to tho ncccBHlty for It's passage,
. SO have hut to refer to tho HtRtlSt!th
( hearing on thIg national monaco. With
1 It, the past thirty years. moro than a.oOO
men and women OF both rnCoa havo been
3 Killed hy mubs or tho total. elovon
yrrr white women and nifty were COL
cred The records for tho throo lead
lu. stated are M follows. Georgia 1901
MInaisHippi 373, and Texas 335. In lJ2h,
! there wcrr niNty-One persons lynched.
! tOngrcHSman ImTton summed up tho
! situation when no anid: lin seventeen
/ .uHtcH the number lynCheh hurphsbnd
| tho number OF those put to death by
! tuIirIul trutcnrr aud In BOmo OF those
! states there were twice. three times. or
',.,. i"uI 81 nvc times an many who
wcro lynChcd mn those who mot death
.. tie, hands o. tho lrEnl cKrCutlonnr.
| Nurcuvor ono munt consider III" eco
! Graphical cktrnni"D or tho IynchlnK
rvIl. Today. ihcro aro only nix Hthtrh
, Tint huvn not hnd their rnputRtIInn
rtnlnod In this particular. namely: Con
r.. l.,ut. Ithudr Inlnnd. Mnnrnc huHottH.
Vermont. Now IInmpHhro md Utah
Thin means TINT foriy-two station hnvn
nrcrr In extending equal protection Of
. 'r, iIr' to vlCt!nH OF lynch Inv.
Tho practical effect OF my law must
. ~ he long run. must depend upon Its
enforcement and sympathetic cOopcra-
. iIun of lIw-ahldInE citizens. Members
OF the American Bar association have
. j,ivcn public expression Of their ap-
. rroval OF tho Dyer bill. Tho American
, Federation. In It's national meeting IN
| 1919, passed resolutions against the
! lynching menace. Presidents Wilson
| and Harding have made 1t the occasion
OF public uttrrancc. Tho press without
regard to section or race. has commend
I'd the Dyer bill Various church Or
! gani2ations in national meetings. have
gone Oh record as condemning lynching
and advocating the passing Of federal
Legislation to stamp It out. Evidently
law-abidIng and intelligent opinion In