The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-09-13
Or WEI
HRICHMOND. VA. Sent. ~. 1904
"GoyERNoR's OFFICE.

Wv . OFFlCE,
"RIcHMoND, VA, Sept. 12, 1894.
"Messrs. John Mitchell, w. Calvin
Chase and John Q. Daney, Committee
OF Afro-American Press Associat ton.
City.
DEAR SIhs: In response to your in
vitation to address or attend the con-
vention of the Afro-American Press
Association, now in session in this city,
beg to say would not think of accept.
ing an invitation to address any con-
vention or assembly that indorses, as
your convention did last evening, the
course of Ida Wells in her ISLANDERS of
the people and the civil authorities of
the South.
81 condemn lynch law as much as any
one, and as long rs I am governor of
Virginia every man, whether white or
coloIed, whatever the charge against
him may be. shall have q trial by Judge
and jury. If have to exert all the
power given me by the constitution and
laws of Virginia, and should any case of
lynching occur shall endeavor to en-
force the law against the lynchers; but
1t strikes me that the action of your
convention in indorsing the misrepre-
sentations and slanderous utterances of
Ida Wells is calculated to do harm
rather than good, and intensity, rather
than mollify, the spirit OF violence which
30 frequently manifests itself, not only
in Virgins, but throughout the South,
when certain crime is committed.
Tho brutes who commit this crimo,
too horrible to mention, and are sum-
marily dealt with, seem to elicit sym
pathy from Ida Wells and her SUP.
porters, as though they were murdered
innocents. while not q word of sympathy
is expressed for their victims, who havo
suffered moro than death.
II believe that if your convention
would condemn the crime which has
caused all the lynchings in the South,
with rare exceptions, and the leaders
OF the colored people would frown upon
it and cry outagainst it, and not exert
their energies and devote their time to
denunciation of the lynchings, there
would be fewer outrages, and IL SO,
certainly fewer instances of mob vio-
lence.
II do not know, but it looks very much
to mo as though theswork of Ida Wells
was deep laid scheme to check as far
as may be the progress of the South
and every good citizen, white and
colored, should feel an interest in refut
ing her yillifications rather than sane
tioning them, as your convention did
last evening. She and her supporters
certainly stirred up feeling against
her own race which did not exist prior
to her crusade. The people of the South,
who have labored so assiduously for
nearly generation now to recuperate
and build up their waste places will not
take kindly to the effort which this
woman and her followers are making to
bring reproaoh upon their section, and
create the impression that it is land
of lawlessness and disorder.
81 have most friendly feeling for the
colored people. They have my sym
pathies in all their struggles and laud-
able undertakings. as L think I have
shown in my private and public life.
and was indeed deeply panied when
read this morning that your convention,
composed of representatives of your
race, had struck the South blow which
she did not deserve.
while l thank you for your invita-
ton, must decline under the circum-
stances to address your convention or
attend It's sessions. Respectfully,
"CHAs. T. O'FERRALL."