Atlanta Daily World

How Much Can Mississippi Stand?

The indictment of the alleged kidnap-lynchers of Emmett Till near Money, Mississippi is one step in the direction of finding out the real culprits and starting them on toward the gas chamber, which affords mild punishment for the brutal murder and throwing into a river of the Chicago teen-ager who was accused of "wolf-whistling" in the presence of a white woman. And whether the victim was guilty of any crime is a question.

This killing in all its native ugliness, typifying the most horrid spectacle imaginable, has gone the rounds of news coverage. Editorial opinions, almost identical in nature have called down the fires of justice upon the heads of the culprits.

The nation has undergone, unwarrantedly, the worst sort of advertisement possible in its zero hour of stress, tension and cold wars.

Patriotic Americans will view this unfortunate incident, coming so closely upon the heels of the Big Four meeting, with great alarm. They feel that our prestige has not been enhanced by the ugly picture, an expression directly contrary to the system of government to which we insist and subscribe.

The murder of Rev. Lee, a minister who was ruthlessly slain in Mississippi a short time ago, is still among the crimes demanding settlement. A race-baiting campaign in which the successful candidate in the runover in the gubernatorial race, openly defied the Department of Justice in his rabid appeals to passion and prejudice, is also of record in Mississippi.

Mississippi has an opportunity of emerging in good standing, in the forthright handling of the trial of those accused of murdering the Till lad; she can make a contribution to the good offices of this country. With the above enumerated three strikes on her it is being wondered just how much Mississippi can really stand.