Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-05-04
FRIDAY MORNING. MAY 5. 1894
THE LESSONS OF THE WEEK.

THE LESSONS OF THE WEEK.
The events of this week give good de;s
to think about.
They have given Staunton the reputa
ton abroad of a city that is not only pre-
pared to put down a mob should one occur
but city that at any cost will prevent the
occurrence of one. Sheriff Watts prompt
action in calling on the military deserves
the highest praise. There was no indica-
cation of lawlessness. The large crowds
of people were perfectly orderly. But the
crowds were there, and to instantly trans
form a crowd filled with horror at an awful
crime, into mob with vengeance in Their
hearts. takes but an indiscreet act, OIL sud
den appearance of a leader. The change is
instantaneous, and unless prepared for in
advance, all preventives save blood-shed
are too late. The real use of troops is not
to shoot people but to overawe the people;
it is to save life not to destroy it. Had the
authorities OF Roanoke made the same pre-
parations that Sheriff Watts did, Instead
of having only little band of some twenty
troops cooped in their Jail, not life
would have been lost there. Sending for
troops from elsewhere was another wise act.
The loss of life in Roanoke was greatly the
result of the belief on the part Of the people
that the home troops being their neighbors
and friends, would not fire on them.
The affair in Staunton viewed from all
points, was managed with good judgment
and the precautions taken were wise.
The events of the week have also shown
that the most brutal and depraved crimi-
nal. with his crime almost as well proven
as if he had been seen to commit it, can
have in Staunton the full protection of the
law, the service Of able counsel, and as
much personal safety as could have been
awarded to man of the highest social
influence under the same circumstances.
And one thing more these events have
proven. In Virginia no reputable Negro
associates with white men, aud no reputa-
BILE white man associates with Negroes. 1t
is only the lowest of the two races that as
sociate together, and they mingle only on q
common platform of evil. Wherever they
mingle there is sure to be found gaming,
drunkenness and lewdness. The houses
that harbor them are hot beds for crime,
lust as the dance house Of Rowe was the
hot bed in which the awful murder was
nurtured. And what follows? No one ever
hears Of Negroes at the South outraging the
wives and daughters of the rich. 1t is the
yirtuous poor that are their victims. Why
is this Such criminal ranches as RoWe's
answer the question. The Negro is admit
ted to equality, drinks whiskey, plays cards,
sees that lewdness among the women ac-
companies the other vices there. sees the
poverty there, and gets the conviction that
all poor women are Of this sort. It is the
only place he has had admission to While
men and women. and from it he judges all.
That accounts for the assaults OF Negroes
on virtuous poor women. Only last Friday
two were hung at Manassas for outraging
two poor and virtuous women who were
keeping house in the country. They had
learned their estimate OF poor white women
from just such places as Rowe's dance
house. These places should be broken up.
The class of women WAC assemble at them
cause other and better women to suffer
The very fact Of the mixed attendance at
them should constitute q disortlerly house
and the county authorities should jail their
proprietors.