Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-05-15
T0SAAKE THE SOUTH
The Denmark lynching Has
Aroused the Negroes
AND WILL CHANGE POLITICS
a RrtvssAs lessee 9AGus sAat 6DusA
GarOsina's fceiiag - Frustrating
The Enstre Black Belt.


letter frou, . gentleman. vouched fs~ ~
. dispass,onate and disintcsested Oh
server. has been received here. depicting
the existing condition of public feeling
in South Carolina. Ii may be stated
that the writer 70 not connected with
either political party in South Carolina
lie asscrts. that for obvious reasons. the
actual condition of affairs il not dis
closed either in the public press of the
state or in the state dispatches.
'r'oLuMBIA, =. c.. May Is. 1Sa Al
though at the first glance the popular
excitement aroused by the lynching of
the negro Peterson at Denmark. in this
state. appears tn have subsidized. to the
ski led observer II public affairs il il
plainly evident tha, beneath the surface
there are strong currents Of bitter feel
ing at work. that will not come to rest
until they have wrought marked changes
in the very substratum of politics in the
Palmetto state and. by symps thetic ac-
tion. in the whole of the great tdack belt
of the south. Public meetings To voice
the opinions Of localities upon this case
have ceased. But il mas by no means
dropped out of public attention. and
there is a feeling of disluiet evident on
all sides.
An OminOus Sign.
Wherever group of negroes are To
be seen t,gether. the chances are ten to
one that they are talking about the
Denmark affair. and an ominous sign il
that they do not talk with the white
A.. o., hox ~ Siox ha,
been FREQ To complain to that element in
the community. when they felt that
they had cause.
There is a division of feeling among
the whites but il il by no means an even
division. The most influential news
papers in the state have. with practical
unanimity. condemned the lynching
and. more strongly still. the white citi.
zens who. in formal public meeting as
at Barnwcll, held up the hands Of the
lynchers and denounced the editors who
stigmatized the lynching as a guarder
But Notwithstanding these utterances
by the newspapers there is reason to be-
licve that they do not represent the feel
ing Of their readers. 4 small element
amongst the white population boldly de
clare that Peterson was. guilty Of the
would hesitate to punish by lynch law.
But a much larger element. accepting
the positive testimony Of the girl. who
was the victim Of the outrage. to the
effect that Peterson was not her aseail-
ant and his alibi. are nevertheless OF
opinion that an example was necessary
Ia secure the safety ~ their families and
so sanction the sacrifice Of the negros
life
Negrocs Seir.Rcliant.
"Pitted against these two elements.
and in the minority 30 far "a close in
quiry can discern. are the white men
who contend for strict justice; for OBJ
servancc IL the forms of law. and who
desire 10 foster the development ot the
natural resources Of the state by assur-
ing the safety of the Investment of capi-
tai Though the feeling is bitter. il il
not Ia be understood that there in immi-
nent danger of war Of races. The
negroes are acting with prudence and
are discussing the affair calmly. but
earnestly They have abandoned hope
of outside interference and are bccom-
ing self reliant. Amongst other projects
they are discussing emigration. But
faith in this is confined to compare
lively small portion 81 the negroes. and
that is largely made up of the lowest
element among them. Very many have
become posAessed of small holdings 81
lands. and others earn good wages as
carpenters and artisans 81 various
clasees They have local attachments
and interests that they cannot disregard.
and as they include in their ranks the
intelligence IL the negroes they are able
10 influence the entire mass.
The Ballut Their Salvation.
For the same reason they advise
against violence. which would precipi
tate rare war resulting almost in ex
termination. But they do mean to use
their powers and resources az brain and
Drawn ard sinew i'm politics on scale
that they have never before attempted.
AMI that 10 what the negroes are pri.
vs'ely discussing just now. Hereafter
national issues are Ia to- nothing Ia
them. II tho leaders prevail. for they
are looking after their own protection.
The alliance doctrine and tho new li9-
nor di.pensnry law have caused schisrns
amongst the whites and the negroes
care little or nothing ~ any ~ these
issucs: frey arc free To- vote with any
element straightout. alliance or com
promise that vill do the h~st Tor them
80 tho political future 81 the state is
troubled and uncertain - prediction. IL
the hest element amongst the negroes
obtains control. and II u docs not. then
the very s"cisl structure is in danger.
for the Denmark lynching will not
down"