Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1955-09-09
Lynching or Murder
II Needs Attention.
S. S. Taylor Associate Editor

S s.. Associate Editor
We take noting that the governor Of
Mississippi deplores the killing Negro boy Money
under circumstances that persons to term it a
lynehng The governor is quoted as saying rms not
lynching ii is straight-ou murder
There has been considerable controversy what eonst
tute lynching In general ynehng the nficton of the
death penalty without authority of law is usually premed-
tated ordinarily conspiracy carried out by group
If is hard TO dfferenae between lynehng murder but
the average Negro has fairly accurate intuition OF which Is
taking place
By the Negro ynching is looked upon outrageous
brutal extreme nexcusabe violation of the rights of the
individual To large people lynching is old
and historic administering justice praceed in many
lands and liable spring anywhere when conditions are
unsettled Accordingly the average Negro considers nchng
far worse than murder the white consid
ers murder far than lynehing.
Lynchng occasionally pracced in the colonial perl
cd and had considerable acceptance in frontier
days the War Between the States 1t became general as
means of controlling Negroes probably reached its height
in the year when according Tuskegee figures there
were 23l ynchines white and 162 of cooed
Tn that wear Louisiana headed procession with % lynch
ings according the International Encyclopedia while Ar
kansas third with Is Our Mississippi neghbor offender
IN the present instance stood fifth with Is.
In the period 18s2-1947 according to the Negro
Handbook 1947 AIT lynchngs 1926 Negro
and white Over the entire period Mississippi stands first
$685. while Arkansas stood seventh with 226 following
Georgia Texas Louisiana Alabama and Florida In 'e oraer
named.
Arrest punishment of lynches stands almost at zero
striking illustration the difficulty of punishment was
given Roger Malcolm in Georgia said to have stabbed
white who made improper advances to his wife was
rched other Negroes Maleoms wife and Mr. and
Mrs George Dorsey were ynhed prevent them from
becoming witnesses Rewards toang $4,000 offered Tor
apprehension of the criminals Georgias governor offering
$4,000: but punished
"There are no constitutional guarantees protect the in
dvdual from mob action murder intimidation by secret So
cieties or from religious prejudice" Only when
constitutional rights violated the national government
step Nevertheless the of ynehings of Chinese and
Italians the government paid indemntes OF
more S250,000
The situation resulted attempts to pass federal
anynch law is safe to that the attempts have tailed
only because fbusers the However agitation OF
en- anti-ynch denser population stronger civil inst
tons faster communication efficient police and more
ENLIGHTENED public have almost eliminated ynching
Msssppis governors classification of the Money killing
as murder rather than yncing should mean that the
Mississippi going to devote all its energy 10 see
ing that brought to justice There seems
to be the identity of the offenders, and IL
conviction be secured will be evidence that ma
tonal safeguard is needed