Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-18

As the fall elections approach accounts
Of lawless deeds in the South begin TO ap-
pear in Northern journals. These ae-
counts are spread abroad with flaming
headlines as outrages, generally Of the
k1l-klux order. Il looks as if these stories
of Iawlessness. written as they are IN
the most sensational style, are collected
and published for a purpose when does
not appear 70 the average newspaper
reader. The purpose 10 which We refer Is
n influence the elections. If the South Is
lavvIess. il Is argued BY the Republican
Dress. it will not do 20 trust the Demo
cratic party with power. because the
south will soon. If il does not now, con-
troll that party. There are two kinds Of
reports which reach the public which give
a false impression relative to the condi-
ton Of affairs in the South. One kind is
sent 70 Washington by Federal officials,
and i there even out 70 the newspapers.
The other kind Is sent out by special
correspondents. The first kind, Of
course. charges that the Federal laws are
violated and Federal officials are inter
fered with in their efforts 70 discharge their
duties. To refute reports OF this charac-
ter it Is only necessary 10 ask, what is the
government doing TO seek out the viola
tors Of the law and administer the punish
ment which they deserve: If the govern
ment believes these reports to which it
80 freely gives circulation 10 the injury Of
the South. il has duty 10 perform. If 1t
does not perform that duty what is the
natural conclusion: Either that 1t is
impOtent. or that it places no reliance
upon It's own officials. 1t is all folly TO
suppose that the government is not strong
enough 10 reach a criminal in any part Of
the country. or TO enforce the law in any
State in the Union. If it was able 20
overturn state governments il is
certainly able TO punish individual
yiolators Of the law. II is impossible
10 avoid the belief. therefore. that
il does not credit the reports Of lawless-
ness which it receives. But why are these
. reports given out from official sources:
Can IL he for any other reason than the
one we have given:
The reports sent ont by special CORES
uOndents are not 50 harmful as those which
20 out from official sources, but they
are. nevertheless. damaging. not so much
I because of what there is in them as on
I account Of the colOring that is given
them. Ia the North and West almost
/ every county is reached by the railway or
/ telegraph. Every matter Of sufficient
importance is published all over the
/ country the day after It occurs. In the
south there are sections which are
I % far removed from the regular lines Of
communication that events. which hap
pen in them. are not heard of for days at
+ ter their occurrence. The special cores
/ pondents scan the local papers Of those
sections. and the little crimes they find
recorded there they make the basis OF
I their sensational dispatches. often there
appear in Northern and Western papers
accounts Of blOod-curdling crimes in the
South. as having occurred the previous
dav. when in fact. the item on which the
dispatch is based is two weeks or month
old. Sometimes a half dozen crimes are
made to appear as having occurred on the
. same dav. when the truth may be that
they may have each occurred on differ
ent dav. These dispatches are cOlored in
many instances 50 as to give the impress
sion that the white people have organ
lied TO whip and murder negroes or TO
defy the law. This Is done
with the idea Of finding favor with North
ern readers. The truth is, there is no
more Iawlessness in the South than in the
North. In fact it i doubtful if the pro-
portion Of brutal crimes TO the number of
/ inhabitants is as large in the South as II
Is in the North.