Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-18
Attitude Toward Mob Called
Lawless i'm Indiana Lynching

public safety than do public ofdcialS
who declare that they will make no ef-
fort to punish fragrant violationS OF law.
And the county attorney over in Marion,
Ind, is not the only public otncial who
has taken such an attitude, though few,
perhaps; will admit 1t as frankly" ac-
cording to the Topeka Daily Capital.
The Grand Rapids Press points out that
Marion has no race problems worth
considering And it has no place, GER
tainly for the executive cowardtce ana
callousness which would permit pros
ecutor to react to this mob offense BY
q statement to newspapers that no ac-
ton would be taken against the lead"
ers."
*s* X
The st. Louis Times declares that
"the public officials of Indiana and Of
Marion and Paramount cannot overlook
the fact that usurpation of the preroga-
tives of the court OF justice Is anar-
chy." The Asbury Park Press, recog-
nizing that $50 overwhelming was the
prejudice that motivated the assault
that even the authorities appear to be
without the courage to resist" adds
Fortunately, education has Of recent
years reduced lynchings to the vanish
ing point. Occasionally, however, mob
like that which has just disgraced In
diana breaks loose as reminder that
the day Of general enlightenment has
not yet arrived"
The responsibility Of the sheriff who
had charge Of the prisoners Is empha-
sized by the Gary Tribune. the
Springfield Republican and the Shreve-
port Journal. The Asheville Times,
however. states that the sheriff Seems
to have made an honest attempt to do
his duty, but he was not ready to meet
q determined assault from . hundred
men, urged on by hundreds on the side
lines" The incident is described by the
Oakland Tribune as disgrace to the
State"
The degradation involved Is dwelt
upon by the South Bend Tribune, the
Baltimore Evening Sun, the Altoona
Mirror the Dayton Daily News and the
Minneapolis Star The Champaign
News Gazette, holds that "the commu-
nifty cannot differentiate between kinds
of lawlessness. If it tolerates one kind;
it must tolerate another" The Fort
Wayne News-Sentinel says. "The very
fact of the mob and its roaring rage
proves that there was such sentiment
against the accused as to have insured
that any jury which would have been
impaneled in Grant County would have
demanded the extreme penalty-but In
a manner prescribed by law and not IA
q manner unworthy Of the common
oSoAANeSA Ao va WIZ 0CehSuc Va AAC10 1AANA
forest"
'There could be no excuse for such O
demonstration Of mob psychology" con-
tends the Indianapolis star, but there
must be reasons for 1t, otherwise 10
never would have happened Attorney
General Ogden, IN commenting on tie
situation. is reported as saving You
know they "Sow the whirlwind and
reap the Storm referring to the re-
cent bombings in which five people
have been killed in Marion. There was
more significance in what he said and
1t was more faT-reaching than may seem
at first thought. The courts. the
members OF the bar and the people OF
the State In general are not without
share of blame in the conditions that
made possible the demonstration In
Marion. The respect for the agencies
Of law and assurance of speedy justice
should be such that q lynehing in any
part of Indiana would be unthinkable.
It Is too late. of course, to save the blot
that has been placed upon the State,
but It Is not too late to awaken 70 the
truth Of what the attorney general said
about reaping the storm II we continue
to SOW the whtrlwind of indifference
and ineffectiveness in the administer
ing Of justice"