Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1922-05-20
PRICE. FIVE CENTS
MIR. LIPSCOMB SPEAKS.

The bill which recently passed tho
House of Representatives, commonly
known as the dyer Anti-Lvnchinr
biI! which purports to give the
United States Courts jurisdiction in.
any case, when Il person is lvnchctS
and the county in which the lyuchin,,
occurred must pay 4 fine therefor. hac,
brought forth many eminent men irs
opposition to the aforesaid bill on the
ground that the said bill is unconsti-
tutional-in that it cncroachcs upon
state rights. while, on the othcr
hand' there arc those who oppose the
bill according to their speeches and;
writings on no other ground than they
prefer mob-law and procedure to that
orderly procedure OF justice prcscribcdl
by the Commonwealth in its Sovereign.
power for which Courts were conSti-.
t"tcd, and Judges appointed or elected!
to determine the validity Of all qucs--
tons. Who arc bound by oath 70
decide i'll all cases according to the
law OF the land, and in coming to such
decisions are bound to resort to the,
best sources of instructions such.
as the Records OF the Courts Of JUS.
tice, we'll authenticated histories Of
trials, books OF reports, digests, andI
brief statements Of such decisions pre-
pared by suitable persons. The.
treaties OF Sagcs Of the professions
whose works have an established rep
utation for correctness. Judges Of the
courts Of justice who have derived
their knowledge OF the law Of the land
from study and experience, who hold
hand until it will not fit one way or
the other To all those who Thurs
oppose "Thc Dyer i-I.ynchine:
Bill | dismiss as an unsupported MI
nority, because no just Government:
ever did, nor ever can exist without
duly constituted courts of Justices.
and judges as aforesaid.
Those who oppose tho Dyer Anti.
Lynching Bill OH constitutional
grounds. | believe them to be honest.
upright, God-fcaring men who live in
the past and believe with those who
went down to an inglorious defeat OH
the battlchclds OF France, who put
State rights above human rights
Thomas Jefferson, the father created
with inalienable rights, which gov
crnmcnts are created to preserve, and,
in the enumeration Of this rights, he
named life, liberty, and the pursuits
Of happiness to be supreme.
The English speaking races of the
world since the days of the Magma
Charta, the greatest document ever
known for the freedom and happiness
Of mankind, have held that the rights.
Of the individual are Supreme. Against
these rights Of the individual was the.
idea maintained by Germany that the.
State is Supreme. When the idea as.
maintained by Germany had stretched
its wings over the world in hostility
to the rights Of the individual as cnum-
Grated by Jefferson so as to threaten
the safety Of the world, the clash
came; and in the final contest or No
vcmbcr II, 1918 the rights Of the indi-
vidual trirmphed over the Rights Of
the State, and the world was once:
more made safe for Democracy.
Those who arc so anxious about
State Rights are OF the erroneous be-
ict that Congress is unwarrantcd and
without authority to enact the Dyer
Anti-Lynching Bill into law until the.
State shall pass law which impairs,
the privileges and immunitcs of Cit.
liens, or which Injuries them in life.
liberty, or property without due pro-
cess Of law. In the light of the his
tory OF the Fourteenth Amendment
and its pervading purpose to forbid any
State to deny to any person within
its jurisdiction the equal protection Of
the law-Thc inhibition is as much
against the State as it is against the
validity OF its laws. The State cannot
become passive and close its eyes and
stop its ears to the acts Of certain
criminals. Permit them TO murder
other citizens ut will and make no.
more effort to bring the guilty parties.
to the bar OF justice than to have.
the local official meet and render the
usual verdict The person killed reach
cd his or her death by the hands of
persons unknown.
duly qualified officers and agents, and,
their acts arc acts Of the State. Ac-
cording to the sth Section OF the I4th
Amendment, Congress has a right to
enforce it by suitable legislation. 1t
must have been the intention Of those
who gave the I4th Amendment to-
insure, as far as human prudence
could insure, its beneficial execution.
This could not be done by combining the
choice OF means to such narrow limits,
as not to leave it in the power Of Con-
gross TO adopt any means which might
be appropriate and conducive to the
end. This provision is made in the
Constitution intcdcd to endure for
ages to come and consequently, to be
adapted to the various crisis Of human
affairs. Hence it would have been all>
unwlse attempt TO provide by immut-
able rules for cXigcncics, which, if.
foresccn at all, must have been seen.
diml y, and can best be provided for
as they occur.
Let those who are closed with
authority face the issue as men and
enact The Dyer Anti-Lynching Billl
into law, and not act from this ex-
pedicncy, or that cXpcdicncy, or what,
may seem good to them, to you, or to
me; but rather let the safety OF the
Republic be the supreme test. Lynch
ing undcrmincs that high respect for
the law upon which the stability Of
our Government, and the continuance
of our Civilization largely depend.
HENRY P. LlPSCOBM,
New York City