People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1897-09-17


these aforesaid publications, Atkinson
had just about done everything for the
negro that even the most importunate
negro could expect.
Among other things, it was said, in
the celebrated Rape Circular" that
Governor Atkinson had pardoned a
negro "who had TWICE been convicted
of rape upon white woman"
Now, of. course Governor Atkinson
did not mean to say that he had par
doned guilty man. He had pardoned
man whom he believed to be inno-
cent, and he had pardoned him for that
reason alone. That's the truth of the
case, and that's the way the Governor
would have put it had he been talking
to white folks. He would not have
claimed any great credit for pardoning
an innocent man, had he been explain
ing the matter in the ordinary way, at
an ordinary time.
But the Governor was not talking to
the white folks. He was not content
to explain the matter in the usual
way.
No he wanted credit for pardoning
that negro, and he wanted it from the
negroes.
Therefore like a good pleader he
states his case in the way which will
most wildly impress the negroes. He
doesn't dwell On the innocence of the
accused or the unjustness of the YER
diets, or upon the newly discovered
evidence which esta blished the inno-
cence of the negro.
No! He put the case in such a way
that every negro in the land will be
profoundly impressed with the fact
that Governor Atkinson had saved from
punishment a negro whom the OTHER
WHITES wanted to punish, and would
have punished, had it not been for
HIM.
ga negro who had been TWICE con-
victed of rape upon a WHITE woman
Why mention the color of the woman?
Why mention the DOUBLE conviction?
Why mention NEGRO RAPIsT and WHITE
WOMAN in such deadly connection?
For political effect, and nothing else.
1t was desperate, unscrupulous, bid
for the negro vote, and it succeeded.
The negroes elected Atkinson the
second time. Fraudulent election re-
turns elected him the first time
During that horrible campaign of
1896, the Democratic Negro" stump
speakers who were so numerously
abroad in the state never failed to ex-
pound and glorify the Rape CIRCULAR
and after detailing the incident in full,
they would clinch the point by exclaim-
ing,
"And be it remembered that the vic
tim of the outrage was a white woman!
Since the campaign of 1896 closed,
there have been four times as many
outrages upon white women, and four
times as many lynchings as ever before
in the same length of time. We do not
mean to say that Atkinson's Rape Cir
cular" is responsible for the increase.
We do not know whether it is or not.
But we do know that many a Demo
cratic editor, last year, condemned the
Rape Circular in the most vigorous
terms, and predicted that an increase
of rapes and of lynchings would be the
natural consequences of that infam-
matory and diabolical circular. We
also know that Populist speakers, both
white and black, condemned the circu-
lar for the reason lin addition to the
others) that it would cause the depraved
of the negro race to think that Gov.
Atkinson would come to the rescue OF
other negro ravishers. just as he had
saved the NEGRO who had twice been
convicted of rape upon white
woman
In other words it was thought by
many in 1896 that the Rape Circular
would make false impression, an i'm
pressiou Gov. Atkinson never intended
it o have, and that it would encourage
the vicious to believe that the pardon
ing power would come to their rescue,
even after they had "been twice con.
victed of rape on white woman"
We do not say that Governor Akin
son should be held responsible for this
impression. We do not know whether
he should or not. 1t all depends upon
his intent at the time he issued the
Rape Circular"
We do think, however, that the
lynchers of Gibson were not justified
in calling this negro ravisher lone OF
the Governors pets" We hardly think
the Rape Circular goes quite SO far as
that.
Nor do we believe that the lynchers
should have sent the Governor a lock
of Gibson's hair. Even the Rape CIR
cular" cannot fairly be construed to
uphold the belief that the Governor
would be gratifed by the gift of lock
of a negro ravisher's hair.
At the same time this gruesome in
cident shows how deep and how last
ing, and how evil an impression may be
made by INSCRIPTIONS political meth
DDS. 1t is mistake to suppose that
the wrongs done during a political
campaign pass out of existence when
the election is over. They do not do
SO. They live and do harm for years
to come.
The crimes against fair elections and