The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-07-22
THE USUAL CRIME

/ he article was calico lO!tn ny TWO
assaults by negro man on white
women, one in the city Of Richmond
and one in its suburbs.
Happily We have been quite free
from this character Of Crme-save the
horrible. butcherlng Of the talkner wO-
man about year ago; but no com
munIty IS safe and we fear only awaits
the meeting Of the brute and the OPP
pprtunlty.
The South is Of coure more vitality
interested and has suffered most from
it as well as from is being used IN
politics to inference the negro and ms
Northern friends. The latter must
and now will cease, as the usual crime
is breaking Oh, North also just in pro
portion as the negro goes there and IS
there meeting the same kind OF at
tempts to stamp 1t out as IN the South.
Under the above caption the dispatch
says:
The greatest problem in the South
to-day is not political, financial indus
trial or economical, but how 10 sup
press "lhe usual crime
When white women are not sale
| from assault in the heart OF great
city, nor whilst walking in broad day
| light from the city to nearby suburb
what must be the condition OF our
| kinswOmen who live IN the country!
| If this sort of thing IS not checked,
country life will become lntOlerable TO
mos, Of our women. TO day, IN Vr-
ginia, and in every other Southern
| State. there are hundreds OF women
who live IN dread of the sudden APP
| pearance Of bru,es in human shape,
who woul. not only ravlsh them, but
murder them, if necessary.
In the days of slavery, the crime IN
question was scarcely known. Plan
tiers would put their wives or daughters
into carriage, mount negro upon
the box, and send them off on long
journeys. Day and night such equip
ages might be met with upon our
country roads. Now, what father or
husband would dare TO make such a
venture? During the war thousands
Of Southern plantations were LETT
wholly in charge Of our women and
children, while our men were III the
army. 1t rarely or never, occurred 10
| the absent soldier to think that his
women folk would be unsafe IN the
hands Of the family servants. But
emancipation has changed all this,
and year by year, we believe, The
crime increases. The younger gener-
alton of negro men have not prohted
by their opportunities tor education,
and, morally speaking they are infe-
nor to the preceding generation.
II they chose to do SO, and there
was public sentiment among their
people to sustain them, they could
make such a fierce and relentless war
upon those of their race who cast lust
iul eyes upon white women as to
stamp out ',he usual crime" in quick
time. But we see no real, vigorous
clf)rts made by them; on the contrary,
they read and applaud the utternances
of vile little sheets which lead their
readers to believe that most of these
criminals are unjustly accused.
We tell the colored people that it is
their duty and their interest to frown
down the men who bring their race
into this trouble. Every case of as
sault incenses the white population to
a degree that increases the breach be-
tween the two races. Already there
is widespread sentiment in this State
IN favor of dividing the school-fund
pro rata among the negroes and whites
upon the basis of tax payments made
by each race, because the money that
the whites spend upon the blacks seems
to do little or no good. Our word
for 1.-THE whites would not "kick"
against the present method of division
if they believed the money was we'll
invested and doing good, and was
making the negro better citizen and
man. But, alas. so long as "the usual
crime" continues TO be of daily occur
renee, it will be difficult TO make
our people believe that the money
spent upon negro schools not utterly
wasted.
Again, when IN country localities it
is found that the two races cannot live
in peace, there will have to be sepa-
ration-and the whites will not be
those who will have to go.
What we should like to see is active
exertion upon the part of the negroes
to discourage this crime. Let them
pray and preach against it, and teach
against it. Let them show some zeal
in helping to arrest those who perpe-
trate these outrages. Let them look
upon the criminals as enemies equally
of the white and black races. Then,
and not until then, will their race, as
a race be held exempt from response
bility for the most exasperating crime
that is possible to be committed
The Statesville Landmark, in re-
ferring to a statement that it will cost
the people of the State $4,000 hold
the August school election, notes the
| fact that the Attorney CeDerol hoe
ruled that the expenses Of the election
must be paid out of the general fund
and not out Of the school fund There
is much complaint on account OF this
great cost and many people are urging
1t as an objection against voting for
local taxation for schools 1t needs 10
be said that the cost of holding no,
only this school election but of all
! 0t her elprtjppc \ortb (',rpl,D,