Compared to any one of a dozen
lynchings readily called to mind the
Mer Rouge episode fails to measure
up as an "atrocity." Georgia, Ala
bama and Texas mobs have set the
atricity standard too high. The two
men were merely murdered and
thrown into a lake. Hundreds of
colored men have been shot, burned
and disembowelled without eliciting
a peep from the Dispatch. When two
colored men were lynched within a
week in Florida the Dispatch did not
solemnly affirm that Florida "will be
in disgrace^ with the sisterhood of
states until It. vindicates justice and
itself."
Perhaps it will be contended that
the nature of the colored men's
alleged crimes makes the difference
in comment. But nofrom its pin
nacle of righteousness the Dispatcji
makes a pronouncement that elimi
nates this excuse. It says: "The
character of the offense charged
is, with the question of guilt or in
nocence, entirely outside considera
tion government under law has
been challengeid."
This leaves but one cause for the
sudden indignation of our big daily,
the victims were white. The paper
even ventures that if Louisiana fails
in this case there will be a demand
that the central government take a
hand in the exercise of the police
power of the states. And this, too,
following an editorial denouncing the
Dyer bill as an usurper of the police
power of the states!
Opinion of this sort is of little
value except as filler. If the Dis
patch, or any other paper wishes to
be believed sincere by thoughtful
readers, black and white, it will
condemn all lynchings, regardless of
the color of the victim, for the sole
reason that all mobs challenge gov
ernment under law and "set the reign
of law at naught."
Wizard Evans of the Koo Koos
says, "it makes little or no difference
what "Gov. Alien says and what he
means even less." Alexander Howatt,
now enjoying the hospitality of a
Kansas jail, once had the same idea
as Wiz Evans.
