Page:The Negro a menace to American civilization.djvu/263

Rh vigor, either in denunciation of the crime or in bring- ing the criminal to justice, is itself unpardonable. Swift Justice Required " Every efifort should be made under the law to ex- pedite the proceedings of justice in the case of such an awful crime. But it cannot be necessary in order to accomplish this to deprive any citizen of those fundamental rights to be heard in his own defence which are so dear to us all and which lie at the root of our liberty. " It certainly ought to be possible by the proper administration of the laws to secure swift vengeance upon the criminal, and the best and immediate efforts of all legislators, judges and citizens should be ad- dressed to securing such reforms in our legal proce- dure as to leave no vestige of excuse for those mis- guided men who undertake to reap vengeance through violent methods. " We must show that the law is adequate to deal with crime by freeing it from every vestige of tech- nicality and delay. '' It is, of course, inevitable that where vengeance is taken by a mob it should frequently light on inno- cent people; and the wrong done in such a case to the individual is one for which there is no remedy. But even where the real criminal is reached the wrong done by the mob to the community itself is well nigh as great. Especially is this true where the lynching is accompanied with torture. Participation Degrades " There are certain hideous sights which when once seen can never be wholly erased from the mental retina. The mere fact of having seen them implies degradation. This is a thousandfold stronger when, in- stead of merely seeing the deed, the man has partici- pated in it. " Whoever, in any part of our country, has ever taken part in lawlessly putting to death a criminal by