The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-09-09
DYER j |; anti \
| 'IjYNCIHlNC
MEASURE


Are Charged With
Crime
Washington. Sept. president
Harding's recent request Of con-
gress for legislation to enable the
federal government to protect
aliens from mob violence has Incl
dentalIy exposed what may prove
to be a fatal weakness Of the Dyer
anti-Iynching bill.
The Dyer bill, though it passed
the house last, winter, had small
chance of passing the senate. or
Of even. being reported out of the
senate judiciary committee, until
the Herrin massacre Mortified the
country Instantly there was a
change in the attitude Of a number
OF those in congress, who had been
opposed to the bill or Indifferent
TO II. and it appeared that the sup
port thus gained by the measure
would carry it through the SEN
ate before the end of the present
session. The first result proof of
the change came when the senate
judiciary committee pulled the bin
out OF the pigeon hole and reported
it faro.ably.
But when it was discovered that
President Harding had taken the
Herrin butchery as a text not Tor
advocating the prompt enactment
Of the anti-lynching bill. but for
the suggestion of another measure
members. Of congress asked each
other why the chief executive had
side-stepped what seemed to be q
fne opportunity to- push a proposal
to which the administration was
supposed to be committed and
which was already half-enacted.
The answer. which turned out to
be a surprise even to the patrons
of the bin itself, was that the Dyer
bill would not meet the Herrin
case. The much-discussed anti
lynching proposition which has
passed the house, and which now
stands on the senate calendar with
a favorable committee report be-
hind it. has no application except
where the victim Of mob violence
is charged with a violation of the
law and has been taken into Gus
tody. A man charged with, and
guilty OF the worst crime in the
category would come within the
protection Of the Dyer bill. but that
measure would have no concern
with a victim of mob violence
charged with no offense against the
law.
To illustrate how widespread was
the misapprehension as TO the
scope of the anti-lynching bill, 1t
may be ~neted that Representative
Monden. of Wyoming, majority
leader of the house. made the fol-
lowing answer when asked il the
house proposed to take up the
presidents recommendation Of leg
islasfon to protect aliens froEa
mob violence:
Mr.. Mondell:::: MY own thought
is. that the .anti-iynehing bill.
which is now in the senate. and
which gives the federal govern
ment jurisdiction in cases of mob
violence, would cover the situation
as regards aliens who were VIC
TINS Of mob violence. ;,
Representative Humphreys, Of
Mississippi then threw the advo-
Gates of the Dyer bill into confu-
sion, from which they have not
yet recovered. by pointing out to
Mr.. Mendell that the anti-lynchins
measure can be invoked "ehfS
where e man is mobbed after he
has been accused Of some offense." Z"
In a. further discussion which eK-
sued, Representative Dyer himself
was painfully enlightened as &C. his
own bill by Democratic members
who were familiar with its re-
stricted scope.
On the other hand, the adoption
of bill like Senator Kellogg s.
which undertakes to protect aliens
from mob violence, would seem to
be discriminating rather strangely
against American citizens who
have no such federal aegis thrown
over them in similar instances.
If an attempt is made to at
tach to the. Dyer bill an amend
mcnt making it apply to aliens on
the principle Of the Kellogg bill,
| then to the opposition which the
Dyer measure already encounters
from states with racial. problems
would be added the opposition of
organized labor, which is fighting
the kellogg proposal bitterly in
spite. OF the presidents approval Of
it. The Republican. leader Of the
house, the same Mr.. Mondell who
approves of the Dyer bill, has in
tiieated his disapproval Of the
Kellogg bill.
The Dyer bill pr poses to pro-
tect from mob violence only the
person accused of, crime. The Kel-
Iogg bill proposes to protect from
mob violence only aliens. Enact
ment of either OF these bills, or Of
both of them. would leave without
federal protection only the Simon
Pure American accused Of no Of
fense. That comes very near be-
ing a reduetio ad absardum.