The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1963-05-02
&aacnial Page
Restricting Riots Serves No Good Purpose

is going to be very little p0SSlDllCy
for rogress and understanding among
all Of us and the people in this diff
cult field if responsible local officials
put their heads in the sand, and man.
u~facture, rather than face, the facts"
OF significance was the statement
Sunday by University Dean L. L. Love
who dealt with federal officials
throughout the riot. Dean Love said
he knew of no students being sub
jected to a torture slab" by federal
marshals, as claimed by the report.
Dean Love, an honorable man who
is not given to making statements
lightly and one of no political ambi-
ton, publicly said he did not see "some
of the things claimed in the report
of brutalities allegedly inflicted by the
marshals at the Lyceum.
Mississippi newsmen on the scene
during the time have also made SINH
lar observations since the legislative
committee report appeared = which
certainly casts further doubt on the
validity of the document and tends to
impugn both the honor and motives
of those making it.
Surprisingly to us, U. S. Senators
Jim Eastland and John Stennis joined
in a statement warmly commencing"
the Legislative Investigating Commit
tee. The senators said the report is
splendid, factual, and reveals a here
tofore untold chapter in the tragic
events at Oxford"
We say Surprisingly" because it
is we'll known in Mississippi that their
own Investigators whom they sent to
Oxford at the time of crisis failed to
produce a report to the public. In
formed newsmen at Oxford said the
probers sent by the senators left in
short order after they found out just
what had taken place there. It is a
matter of record the senators them
selves were strangely silent after their
emissaries had left Oxford.
Finally, what about the members
of this legislative committee them
selves? What do they say in reply to
Justice Department charges that their
committee report is untrue, manufac-
lures incidents and in fact ISLANDERS
dedicated and courageous U. S. mar
shals who have served their country
we'll and deserve better?
CAS- to how we'll the $50 marshals
did serve their country, it should be
remembered that $50 of them were in
jured that Sunday night, 81 from gun
fire at the hands Of members of the
mob. It is also a matter of record that
not one single marshal returned fire.
This was in spite of the fact that they
had great provocation having been on
duty since 400 p. M. and under open
armed attack from the mob from 800
p. m. until well after 200 a. m. when
army troops were brought in to put
down the riot and restore law and
Orderly The marshals were wounded,
bleeding and bruised. They were ply
sically tired, hungry, thirsty and with
out normal creature comforts. tt is no
wonder that some heads did get knock
ed together.
After all, this was no Sunday
School picnic.
It was a mob consisting Of some
$500 or more persons who were armed
with guns. pipe, knives, acid, rocks,
bricks, bottles, and virtually every
weapon that could be improvised and
pressed into battle, including a bull
dozer. It was clearly war. The over
whelming number Of the rioters were
not Ole Miss students Of students from
other state schools and colleges, as
implied in the Legislative report. They
were people who had gone to Oxford
in response to telephone calls made by
professional leaders Of the Citizens
Council in the name Of Governor Bar
nett. ,1uknovn n him a. fho f,rno Tbn,y