Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1955-11-05

or more persons and his body was
found August 81 in a river.
"The crime Of this 14-year-olc
boy was a reported wolf whistle
and an alleged ugly remark to the
wife Of storekeeper.
"For this he was kidnapped ano
lynched by the woman's husband
and brother-in-law.
"E. In the county surrounding
Mound Bayou during the last cleo
ton voting boxes of Negroes were
forcibly taken and the contents de.
stroyed.
iii. Please not that:
Intimidation and violence en-
phasized by the three known kill
ings give the picture to the world
that in areas of this country col
ored citizens can be inundated
beaten and even murdered without
the criminals involved being pun
ished by either the state or federal
authorities.
People Cannot Understand
while well-trained lawyers can
make documented argume n t s
showing how nothing can be done,
it is impossible for the readers
of our newspapers to understand
how this type of violence can go
unpublished in the year of 1866.
at is obvious that the state of
Mississippi is going to do nothing
more than pro forms prosecutions.
"This will be a precedent for
other states of the South to fol-
low the same type of program.
Consequently we are in the po-
sition of insisting that if the fed
eral government fails to act there
will be no action.
GAS much as we would like to
have criminal laws enforced by the
several states rather than by the
Federal Government, it is so GER
tain now that the Federal Gov
eminent must accept it's respon-
sibility for acting as result of the
failure of the state to act.
1--WE, therefore, should take up
the cases set down above in order.
"A. Although more than likely
it will be argued that the White
Citizens Councils are not violat-
ing the laws of the United States,
they most certainly should be in
vestigated thoroughly to determ-
inc whether or not they should be
included in the Attorney Generals
list of subversive organizations
similar to the Ku Klux Khan.
"B. The case of Rev. G. w. Lee
certainly warrants prosecution un-
der the Federal Civil Rights
Statutes, even within the decision
of the United States Supreme Court
in the case of u. S. VS.. Screws.
&C. The case of Lamar Smith
While we do not know the results
of the FBI Investigations in these
cases. this seems to also be within
this statute.
I'D. The murder of Emmett Till
may not be within the present
framework of the Federal Civil
Rights Statutes. Nevertheless, it is
a cold-blooded murder or lynching
This is the clearest demonstration
of the need of the Department
of Justice and the Attorney Cen
eral to join in support of the bills
now in Congress to strengthen the
Civil Rights laws and the Civil
Rights Section of the Department
of Justice.
Interested in Principles
"IV. The members of the Nation
al Newspaper Publishers Associa-
ton wish to make it clear that
we are not lawyers or sons of law
yers.
eve are not willing to get in
volved in legal technicalities or
niceties of the law.
1--WE are interested in seeing that
our Federal Government find a
way to punish those responsible
for the crimes in Mississippi, and
to assure all citizens that these
atrocities will not be repeated.
at appears that the FBl has
done an excellent job of investiga-
ton.
"We think it is time now that
prosecutions were instituted.
"The longer we wait the more
crimes will be committed.
ave believe that one successful
prosecution of those persons III