The morning call., 1894-09-02

"VhI VI tuc ly0cDlng OF tne SIX c0l0T6u men
ID tennessee was much talked on in
washington today and renewed interest
IN the resolution introduced by Repre-
sentative Blair of Ohio for an investiga-
ton OF such forms of lawessness, which
Will probably be acted upon early next
session.
Hon. Fred Douglass. the venerable pio-
neer OF the abolition movement, was seen
by an Associated Press reporter. He had
not read the report of the affair, nor did
he care to.
1T is only a continuation of the perse-
cutlon OF the past" he said at first, very
bitterly. "What can L say about this af-
fair that l have not said of similar ones?
My views are well known"
For moment he was silent, and then
he continued, apparently speaking more
In sorrow than in anger:
Il regard this case as symptomatic" he
said. ''It belongs to that spirit of lawIess-
ness which prevails all over the country.
1t is usually said in defense of lynch law
that it is only Tesorted to iu revenge for a
sIng.s crime; but that is not true. 1t is
resorted to after almost all offenses or all
alleged offenses. They Kill a man, tell
how ne looked when he was accused, how
he confessed, how he was strung up. but
when the Coroner's jury is called they
swear they do not know who did it. They
never know who the man confessed to.
Il don't believe their assertions. It's SIM
ply reign of terror in the South for DO
litIcal purposes and to defeat constitu-
tonal amendments. One effect of this
persistent lawleSs violence in the South
Will be. undoubtedly. to produce retalia-
tion on the part OF negroes. Persecution
will beget persecution and secret revenge
An other effect will be TO keep the capital
of the North and immigration from the
North and from abroad from the common
| country. 1t is deplOrabe state OF affairs,
but these things will ultimately defeat
themselves. The thirst for blood will be
! Satiated and q reaction will take place."
Mr.. Bruce refused to say whether an
uprising of the negroes was to be ex-
pected. though it was intimated that the
outcome would not be of that serious a
! character.
Hon. J. B. Lynch of Mississippi, who
served three terms In Congress, and who
was Fourth Auditor Of the Treasury dur
ing Harrison's administration, denounced
the lynchers and deprecated the effect of
| the occurrence in impeding the growth of
the South. He said:
These lynchings have become so preva-
lent In the South that it is no longer mat
ter Of surprise to read of them. Naturally
l was Mortified to read of the Tennessee
lynching. which was based merely on the
| suspicion that the six men were guilty of
arson. Those who have justified, defended
and excused frequent Iynchings in the
! hau hA khoS
| lynching was resorted TO only for one
crime"
Hon. B. Z. Bruce, ex-United States
! Senator from Mississippi and ex-Regis-
trar of the Treasury, took a conservative
view Of the work of the lynchers iu Ten
nessee. st is certainly an appalling
affair."" he said, land l earnestly hope
that the good citizens of the country in
which it occurred will not rest until the
perpetrators of this murder have been
brought to Justice. The effect of the
lamentable occurrence will be, among 9TH
er things, to neutralize to some extent the
good that is being done by the Southern
Development Association which has just
closed its session here. This will be ac-
complished by preventing capitalists from
investing their money in the South"
1uC tIuIH 10 budt luo lyDCuIHB5 are tue
result of morbid and depraved public
sentiment which has tolerated it and all
criminal methods to stamp out and effec-
tually prevent the successful opposition
to the ruling obligarchy which bears the
name of Democracy 10 the South. Lynch
ing is only one species of the lawlessness
which damns that section of the country
in the estimation of peaceful and law
abiding citizens everywhere. Hence it is
bound TO be detrimental to the industrial
and commercial interests of the South. 1t
is not a race matter, however. and there
will be no retaliation from race stand
point"