Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1922-01-14
ADOPT ANT|.LYvCHL LAW
IN REPUBLICAN HOUSE
Chairman Tcss Reports 1920 Deaths
by Mob Violence in 30 Years
of Which 2l0 in North.


of Which 2I0 in North.
! WaShingt on, Deeply an over
| whclming vote the Republican major.
| ity in the House has gone on rccOr'i
| against the crime Of lynching
1t is provided in the bill just passed
| tirat whenever Il person, white or
! black, believes he will not receive IL
| his state the equal Justice under the
Constitution to which he * emit
| he shall have recourse TO the protC,.
! ton OF the federal government rs repre-
| scented by the United States marshal.
ana That any person or persons attCmD
! TIM" TO take him from the custody -
! the marshal shall DO fined $40 900 or
| imprisoned 70 ten years; thE ~!
| person participating in an actual lyncl
| ing shall be guilty Of murder and shall
he punished accordingly.
! Chairman Simeon ID. FcSS. OF n,,
National Republican Congressional
Committee in urging Ihc measure said
"rhc interest involved in the .cHis-
/ lation is so paramount, it strikes m~,
! that the House of Representatives
| should not hesitate to take position.
| The report that has been made upon
| the bin by the committee reporting L
, gives some very startling facts about
! The subject OF lynching. II is Il sad
| comment upon the high standard OF
| our civilization, when compared with
! other countries. The report states tina,
! in The 30 years from 1889 to 1918. -
22i persons were lynchcd Of whom 2
! 522 were Negroes and Of these 90 were
| women. The North had 2l9. the West
, sc A'ns''? ard &,nl-ro"E 1o"nliioc
; Is and tire South had 2 ,S3I with Geo
gia leading with "GS, Mississippi fol
| lowing with 372. The report goes o.
| TO state that in the State OF Gcorgi
| where 36S lynchings occurred the Ne
! grocs paid taxes on ,G64, 36S acres Of
| property assessed at $A7,000,000 These
| startling figures demand the attention
| Of this Congress. The report which
| will be of interest to all Members
! who are concerned with the good name
| Of the Nation specifics tire number on
! lynchingS In the various States. | rec
! CEsnizc that there is Il feeling in he
| minds OF some thar; the bill is especial
| ly designed for the protection OF ac"r
| tain people with little concern for 9th
| crS and is to be applied to a certain
! section OF the country. That is really
not entirely true; it may be largely 50
!
| great number and affects one race
| more than another. The trnth abou,
{ tire matter is that tho law is just As
! applicable to Ohio as to The South. II
( it affects the latter more it is because
| its crimes are greater. However, ono
| Of the most understandable lynchings OF
! AL the country, indcscribablc because
! OF its lawlcSsncss and brutality, took
! place in my own State Of Ohio. L,
| was the lynching OF a representa- We
| citizen who had been very active in
the agitation OF the promotion OF tenn
! perance sentiment for the prohibition
| Of the liquor traffic. lie had become
| very active, and had so wrought up 4
| portion OF the population that he was
| pursued by a mob which took the law
! into their own hands in defiance OF the
! authority or the town. lie was taken
by an angry mob, made up it was sal |
by residents Of one of the most rcSpcc
| table cities OF Ohio. and inhumanly
| treated beyond description. 1t Was so
amazing and SO shocked the DCItnI
! sense OF the people, not only or the city
! but 1t involved tire interest OF the en-
tire country, that one Of the best writ /.
| crS in America was sent to the city TO
| make Il study OF the general morale Or
| the town which had permitted such an
| outrage. especially in view OF the fact
that such an inhuman performance
| could take place in what was looked
| upon as one Of the best cities OF The
/ State. The upshot Of tlris sort OF law
! lcssncSs which besmirches the good
| name OF any State was n Legislative act
in the state Of Ohio on the basis Of
! this bill, which We now propose for the
| Nation.
| IF we have a law in Ohio puniShin :,
| lynching and law in the Fedc ,al
Government for the Same purpose
there is cOncurrcn, jurisdiction bon
by State and Nation over the cases 20
be dealt with by the State, if it viii!
do its duty and by the Nation if the
State refuses to do its duty. This bill
is no interference whatever in the cn
forccmcnt Of the law in Ohio In adj
dition it. supplements tho law Of Ohio
and better still; it supplies authority
for protection in the States which do
not afford protection. | meant to state
tlsat the law put upon the statute
books by my own State was similar 10
this law. I think that every man who
! is acquainted with the situation in my
own State recognizes the salutary cf-
feet of that law. No one desires it ro
1pcaled. 1t is written upon the Prirci-
pie that if an 0utlawry Of any city;
such as I have in mind would pemit
such an inhuman thing rs this; then
the city itself ought to suffer the penal
ty OF the outlawry. That is in sub.
stance what this bill proposes TO do
I, t,,1