Further evidence that the people of the North will engage in lynching when necessity dictates may be had from the early history of California. Vigilance committees for the protection of the better class of citizens against the disorderly and criminal elements, were organized without warrant of law. In writing of one of these committees H. H. Bancroft says that it was well represented by men of wealth, intelligence and industry, and that “the largest element comprised men from the Northeastern part of the United States.”[70:16] Of remedies for lynching I have none. Of proposed remedies, I have only to say that those which seem in any way practicable might result in unmerited hardship to whites and an increase in rape cases as well. Any hope of escape or mitigation of punishment that even unintentionally may be held out to the criminal serves as a wonderful stimulant to crime. The positive knowledge on the part of those criminally inclined that punishment will be immediate, sure, and adequate, is the best deterrent. The Negro is a creature that lives in the present and even postponement of punishment robs it of much of its force. The law sanctions personal self-defense. The white man in lynching a Negro does it as an indirect act of self-defense against the Negro criminal as a race. When the abnormally criminal Negro race (partly so, no doubt, because he is not yet adjusted to his environment) puts himself in harmony with our civilization, if ever, through assimilating our culture and making our ideals its own, then may it be hoped that his crimes will be reduced to normal and lynching will cease, the cause being removed. FOOTNOTES: [48:1] Lynchings in the country for the past thirty-two years according to _The Chicago Daily Tribune_, Dec. 30, 1916: 1885 184 1886 138 1887 122 1888 142 1889 176 1890 127 1891 191 1892 205 1893 200 1894 190 1895 171 1896 131 1897 106 1898 127 1899 107 1900 115 1901 130 1902 96 1903 104 1904 87 1905 60 1906 60 1907 65 1908 100 1909 87 1910 74 1911 71 1912 64 1913 48 1914 54 1915 98 1916 58 [51:2] It seems fair to count rape, alleged rape, attempted rape, and so on,—all as rape; for it often happens that a Negro commits rape and escapes entirely. As an example, see account of the lynching of Ed. Berry (_Baltimore Sun_, Aug. 27, 1915). Berry confessed to twelve cases of criminal assault, each victim being a white woman.