Evening star., 1946-09-19
u. 5. Prepared 10 Act
To Enforce Lynch Law,
CLARK Tells Bar Group
By the Associated Press

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va, Sept. 49,
Attorney General Clark declared
last night that the Federal Govern
ment will "be impelled to assert its
authority if local authority is in
adequate and unwilling to provide
equal justice under the law to any
of its citizens
From the very beginning of our
nation" he said in an address at
the annual banquet of the Virginia
State Bar Association" we have
proceeded on the assumption that
the State and local authority was
best equipped to handle problems
which were local in their character
Time has demonstrated the wisdom
of this philosophy.
IF, however, local authority,
through the inattention of it's good
citizens, is inadequate or unwilling
to provide equal justice under the
law to any of its citizens, then all
local authority is jeopardized and If
it continues, the Federal Govern
ment, of necessity, will be impelled
to assert its authority to the end
that no citizen shall be deprived of
his inalienable rights"
Lynching Called Murder.
Mr. Clark, who was introduced
by Gov. Tuck, said the crime OF
lynching is 'in it's essence the crime
of murder; and the crime of mur-
der is an offense against the law of
the locality-the State. The States
reserve such authority to themselves
under our theory of government be-
cause it was historically determined
that such matters were local in
their nature and should be handled
by local rather than Federal au-
thOrity.
Thus, If the States have the in.
alienable right to pass their owr
laws and to enforce them, which nc
one denies and everyone applauds
then also the States have the high
responsibility of applying those laws
to all offenders, regardless of race
or color or state of life.
"The Federal statutes, implement
ing the Bill of Rights, guarantee te
the citizens of the United States
their privilege of enjoying life, lib.
erty and the pursuit of happiness
are, I am sorry to say, a very thir
thread upon which to hang law en-
forcement in this tragic field"
The Attorney General said "You
lawyers know how difficult it is ir
some channels of the law to prove
culpability when the law demands
certain conditions be present.
Il think it is particularly fittine
for me to discuss the problem In
Virginia for the State of Virgins
and its traditional handling of thu
problem Of civil liberties is shining
example OF the way in which thu
problem of civil liberties should bt
handled and demonstrated that Il
can be done and done we'll.
Virginia Held Model State.
Il understand that there has mo-
been a lynching in the State ol
Virginia for generation. This is ir
Keeping with the great traditions O,
this historic State, whose lawyer,
flrst gave expression to the princi.
plies of the human freedom and thu
rights Of the individual man.
The Bill OF Rights has its root.
In the State of Virginia. A large
measure of the credit for the sue.
cess OF Virginia in this field is at.
trlbutable to the courageous stand:
taken by Senator Harry Byrd in hi.
first term as Governor, when HI
insisted upon effecting laws against
civil disturbances and riotous as.
semblies, and this law is a mode
for all of Virginia's sister States.
At its final business meeting, thu
association elected Thomas B. GAY
Of Richmond as president for tn,
ensuing year, succeeding Howard G
Gilmer, IT,, of Pulaski
Elected to serve with him were
five vice presidents, Thomas G
Scully, Winchester; Duval Radford
Bedford; F. H. Combs, Grundy; M
B. Wagenheim, Norfolk, and N. E
Clement, Chatham.
William T. Muse, Richmond, wa
reelected secretary-treasurer, Will,
named to the Executive Commit.
tee were F. M. Rivinus, Roanoke
and William H. King, Richmond
Reelected as delegate to the Amer
lean Bar Association was Stuart B
n Nn Ill