OCR Text |
Show o IS LYNCHING LAWFUL. The lynching of George White, whose color was black, at W'lriing-ton. W'lriing-ton. Delaware, recently has received the sanction of some Christian ministers minis-ters who profess to be followers and imitators of the meek, patient and merciful Redeemer. A Prebyterian minister, Rev. Robert A. Elwood, told hia congregation, whilst White was under the surveillance of th Taw that the mob should do what the law was too slow in doing, namely, kill the prisoner. He exhibited from his pupit to the congregation leaves of a book that were saturated with the blood of the deceased. The congrega-1 tion was so worked ud with tho inflam matory remarks and the spectacular exhibition of the blood-stained leaves, that at the end of the services they resolved to endorse their pastor's Christian views. Rev. W. A. Bart-lett, Bart-lett, of the First Congregational church, in Chicago, also justified the Wilmington mob who took the law iiiu, uieir own nands. With him revenge re-venge was sweet and the law of retaliation, retal-iation, which was revoked by Christ, should again be introduced, and human hu-man laws brushed aside. ' He said he "would rather see a community j wrought to the highest pitch over crimes that would seem impossible this side of hell than to remain apathetic." apa-thetic." Mr. Bartlett paid his respects to timid preachers, editors and all lovers lov-ers of law and order who denounce lynching. For those moulders of public pub-lic opinion he has the greatest con-, tempt. His Christian (?) sentiments are expressed in this one sentence: "I have seen so many sermons, editorials edi-torials and resolutions denouncing lynching and mob law that one gets the impression that the citizens who hang or burn the destroyer of life home, and all that is held sacred by womanhood, are the race offenders rather than the monster whom thev destroy." In morals there are two. questions to be considered; for every culprit a fair trial and a just legal sentence. The civil power concedes this, and unless the state abdicates its rights which it never will, aDy sanction given to mobocracy even by churchmen church-men is only a new phase of anarchy. The right to ignore the civil power in one case establishes when pressed to its logical conclusion gives the anarchist and most advanced socialist the right to press their demands de-mands and ignore the rights of the' state. It should be the mission of every true minister of religion to uphold up-hold the rights of tie state and its citizens, because these rights are derived de-rived from God, and His agents, as those ministers represent themselves to be, whilst those ignoring or undermining the authority of the state are traitors to God. Neither class nor race distinctions dis-tinctions have any place in our po5it- j ical system which is based on right -not privilege-that is, the equal rights of all men. The state provides for a fair trial, and due punishment of the worst criminals, it never yields its right to the moh. When Presidents Garfield and McKInley were aspect. nated, the state maintained its right fused to hand the bloodthirsty criminals crim-inals over to the mob who were ready to lynch them. Here were instances where , lynching, If ever justifiable would receive the sanction of th Pie. But the state maintained Its authority, au-thority, set the machinery of the law in motion, and in due time legally executed ex-ecuted the two depraved criminals thereby maintaining its own rights' and the dignity and majesty of the law. Those preachers, like the friend of Jesus, who was near when he was arrested in the Garden of Olives, would take the law into their hands,' unsheath their swords, and not only "strike the . criminal and cut off his ear," but they would burn him at the stake, and swell the cry of the mob to I crucify and torture tie object of their hatred. If lynching be lawful, why did Christ command his friend: "Put up again thy sword into its place: For j all that take th- -vr-T I with the sword.- h. ,3ha:i V j-who preach in Hi,: ln " r,f bibed his spirit cf ;..l(.''rn"' hlT to all men. Lyri,':-,,, nl tures, is anti-Chrisr,'110 a" its violation of th- ri-,.' 1 ! u" s "f the . |