Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-11

Major CHARLES II. SMITH, known to
the reading world as "Bill Arp"
Bishop HAYeooD, under the head Of
''The Black shadow in the South" de-
nounces lynohing as a crime against God
and man. The Texas aud Kentucky
burpings OF negroes for ~assaulting white
women and little girls, he charseterizes
as insane vengeance, and yet he admits
that we must EXPECT such shocking bar
barlty just so long as these horrible
crimes arc committed. The lynchers
have great %provocation. Within three
months during the past summe 800 or
more white women and children were
assaulted by negroes in this country.
The bishop believes that as a
rule these rapists and muir
derers are the u~neducated ne
groes who have grown up since tho
war. The older negroes are good labor
ers and good citizens. The remedy,
therefore, is to educate the black masses
aud induce all Of their preachers and
teachers 10 convince them that the
a|ssaulting Of white women and children
must cease.
Major SMITH takes q different line.
He asks the question: Have American
Negroes Too Much Li0erty?" The
Major cannot see that education Is do
ing the negroes much good. he finds
that 40 per cent. Of the blacks IN the
Georgia penitentiary are educated men,
and 40 per cent. are church members.
He sees o constantly increasing friction
between the races and suggests that il
the situation does not improve we must
d~isfranchise the negroes and have a
separate penal code for them; that
unless there is a change for the bet
ter the white country schools Of the
South will have to DO given up and
the whites will move to town in self
defense.
Messrs. HAYGOoD and SMITH both
want to get rid of lynch law, but
they want also to get rid Of its provo
cstion. Now, how shall we go about
it? The Constitution says:
We believe thatlynchlng isresorted to in
most cases because the people cannot stand
the laws delay. Recently q negro was
lynched in Amelia county, Virginia, a year
after he had assaulted a white girl. Inc
people waited for the Court 10 act. The
first verdict was set aside because or q
~technicality. After the second verdict q
new trial was granted on another tecnul-
cality. Then the people lost their patience:
They were determined that this poor girl
should not be forced to tell her story a
third time ia a crowded court house, and
they took the twice convicted brute and
put him out Of the way. There is a lesson
In this case. The people must have speedy
Justice i'm rape cases or they Will take tue
law into their own hands The thing 10
do is 20 frame q statute that VIII cOunpeI
the lower and higher courts TO side track
all other business when a rapiSt Is lndlct-
ed. and rush him through to the gallows II
he is guilty. 10 win be said that this Will
make 10 DOssibIef for men 70 be unlustly con
victed when people are angry and prelu-
diced. But 10 is better TO run that risk
than 20 confront the probability oil an I'M
lust acquittal on g techuicality after years
OF delay or an appeal to lynch law TO avoid
that delay.
Perhaps this will not stop lynching en-
tirelv, but it will cause much less OF it 10
be done, and chat will Oe a distinct step IN
advance. Greater expedition in criminal
proceedings. and preaching and teaching
on the proper line viii greatly improve the
situation. We must make an effort in TINS
direction. and it is to be hoped that our
Northern contemporaries will aid US by
dealing more fairly with our great prob
lem. AT present they have plenty OF sym
pathy for the negroes who are lynched and
none for their helpless victims. This IS
because they live under different condl-
tiOns. Put 100000 negroes down in New
England. and let me most henGish OF them
lie I'm want for little white giris-rayishlng
them, cutting their threats, and then hurl.
ins their bodies into g ditch, aud the old
Puritan nature would flame out again, ana
tho descendants OF the men who used TO
burn criminals and witches would show
that they have not forgotten the art OF Gre
Give New England the provoca-
ton under which the South suffers, and
she viii hang or burn q negro on every
hilltop. We appsalto our Northern breth-
rem 20 aid rs. not in suppreSs.ng lynch1ng
alone. but iynChing and the crime which
causes IT,