The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1892-06-24
ANOTHER FOOLS ERRAND,

Albion w Tourgee is a peripatetic Bo-
hemian who suddenly gained considerable
reputation some years ago as the author of a
political romance, entitled "a Fools Er
rand" 1t was highly embellished de-
of life in the south during the
recon struction period when he was posing |
as a carpet-bag Judge. Sectional feeling
was then running at food tide, and his
novel studiedly pandered to that sentiment.
The result was a large sale of his book, and
since then he has been at pretty much every
thing by turns and nothing long, but still
bobs up once in while as sensationalist.
His latest sensation is an announcement
given to the Associated Press in which he
declares that unless the blacks of the south
shall be awarded just protection from lynch
ers and other brutal oppressors of the race,
the next decade will witness the bloodiest
revolution of history by the uprising of the
blacks to visit retributive vengeance upon
the whites. Coming from Judge Tourgee
it attracts little attention beyond recalling
to the readers of his new "Fool's Errand'
that he is yet in existence, and that he is
nothing if not sensational. Since the first
success of his 'Fools Errand' in shape of
novel, he has been practicing the fool s
errand from year to year until his utterances
have ceased to command respect either
north or south.
There are now few lawless outrages COM
mitted against the blacks.of the south ex-
cept in the lyncLing of colored brutes VINO
criminally assault women. While all con-
siderate persons condemn the resort to lynch
law, few individually condemn the sudden
and swift retribution that is now general
visited upon colored men for the often
referred to; and the like lynching of negrC
recently in New York state just over the
border of Pennsy lvania, teaches that tn,
south is not alone in applying the swiftes
and most violent punishment fer the pro
lection of women. A recent case in Georgi;
{ also proves that the colored people of th'
t south feel Just as do the swhites as to tn,
t remedy for criminal. assaults upon women
regardless of co'or. The punishment latel.
inflicted in Georgia upon colored man fo
criminally assaulting a colored woman
differed only from the usual and swift pun
ishment imposed by the whites in the pro
! tracted torture. the. negroes themselves visit
ed upon the criminal, leaving him to die
lingering death. This single incident tell
! the whole story of the attitude of the black
9 of the south.
Human nature!isl lhuman nature regard
less of the color of the'.skin or of the climat
r in which people happen to live and it
I creaitable to human nature of all classe
$ and conditions that it can be aroused to il
q fercest offices in the defense of the honor {
: women. regardless of race or color. Law
less as it is, and indefensible as it is on ger
eral principles, the lynching will continu
in the south az long as the offense is com
mitted that has usually led to lawless exe
cutions; and ia the north there will be fe'
to demand the enforcement of the la'
, against those..who shall summarily punis
such criminals. At'no time since the clos
!, of the civil war has the south been NOR
serene and tranquil than l. is today. Som
years ago the race issue was vastly NOR
threatening than it is now, and each yea
1 brings the two races into more harmoniou
o relations. Judge Tourgee's sensatiana
i prediction is simply a repetition of hi
n ''Fool's Errand'' and there is not a san
v man of any race north or south who cal
e attach any reasonable respect to his violer
e prophecies Philadelphia Times.