That Sham Humanitarianism Has Become
a Stench Is the Declaration
of a Leading Humanitarian.
Andrew D. White, ex-president of Cornell University, ex-ambassador to
Germany--scholar, publicist, humanitarian--said wholesome words to the
Cornell students a few weeks ago on the problem of "High Crime in the
United States." The basis of his address was the fact that more murders
are committed every year in the United States than in any other country.
His attitude in regard to lynch-law is rather startling:
The number of homicides that are punished by lynching
exceeds the number punished by due process of law. There is
nothing more nonsensical or ridiculous than the goody-goody
talk about lynching. Much may be said in favor of Goldwin
Smith's quotation, "that there are communities in which
lynch-law is better than any other."
From this he proceeded to decry over-wrought sentiment in favor of
criminals:
Germs of maudlin sentimentality are widespread. On every
hand we hear slimy, mushy, gushy expressions of sympathy,
the criminal called "plucky," "nervy," "fighting against
fearful odds for his life."
It is said that society has no right to put murderers to
death. In my opinion, society must fall back on the law of
self-preservation. It should cut through and make war, in my
opinion, for its life. Life imprisonment is not possible,
because there is no life imprisonment.
In the next year nine thousand people will be murdered. As I
stand here to-day I tell you that nine thousand are doomed
to death with all the cruelty of the criminal heart, and
with no regard for home and families, and two-thirds of
those murders will be due to the maudlin sentiment sometimes
called mercy.
I have no sympathy for the criminal. My sympathy is for
those who will be murdered, for their families and for their
children.
This sham humanitarianism has become a stench. The cry now
is for righteousness. The past generation has abolished
human slavery. It is for the present to deal with the
problems of the future and among them this problem of crime.
Young men, like Jerome, like Folk and Hughes, resolve never
to be servants of criminals, but to do your best to punish
crime as it should be punished.