The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-08-12
lYNCH|NG As A PREVENTIVE OF CRIME.
NhGltO FlENDS MAKE LIFE 4
PERIL ON FARMS.

| cAHNSPS MAKE LIFE "A
PERIL ON FARMS.
bill Arp Justines tho Lynchinp of
Men for outragcs Upon Women
Every Paront and Husband is mn
Avengor OF this Crime.
had not intended to write ANYTHING
moro upon lynch law, but recent utter.
ances from the press and the pulpit
provoke mo to say that the people of
Georgia do rot deserve the condemnn.
tlOn OF friends or foes for their consent
to lynchings whom the crime is one hat
10 nameless. Our peorle are as humane
and law-abiding to-day as they were
thirty, forty or tlfty years ago. and the
records OF the courts prove 1t. In 1851
there were 2l6 white convicts in the
penitentiary now there are but 1876,
and we have greater populations
There is so per cent less OF felonies IN
Now York or Massaoh husetts, according
to population. or course, l moan
among the whites. Now set that down.
An Ohio paper has recently invosti-
gated the record of that namelcss
crime for the past ten years in that
State and gives the figures which show
324 cases, aud the regro criminals out
number tho whites six to one In pro-
portion to population. In Georgia thew
outnumber the whites sixty to one and
IL ls because OF our scattered and un-
protected population In the rural dis
trlcts. Before the war that crime was
unkn nown and almost unheard of in the
| South. l never heard of q case In
north Georgia. In 1852 had occasion
| to visit Cedar Bluff in a Ia bama and INV
companion Judge Underwood, stopped
| the horse to show mo pilo OF stones
that was hehped up around dead and
blastod tree. "Thoso stones," said he.
mari the place whore u negro brute
was burned two years ago and also
mark tho place whore he committed
the crime and then murdered his vic
tim That was the only case that
came to my knowledge. During the
war, when in hundreds Of families the
only protectors OF womon and children
we're negroes, not u deed OF violence
or betrayal OF trust was heard of from
the Potomac to tho Rio Grando; anu
General Henry II. jackson cloquently
said OF them, they deserve Il monu-
ment that would reach tho stars"
Low is IT now? Nearly 1900 colorcd
| convicts In the chaingangs aud less
than 200 whites, aud tho namelcss
crime is committed by negroes some.
where every day in the year. What is
the cause Of this alarming dcgcncracy
OF the nogro? | beard q preacher say
tho other day that lynching for this
crime or any other was the evidence OF
q depraved and lawless public scnti-
ment. He Is mistaken. 1t is rather
tho evidence of minds charged, per-
haps ovcrcharged, with love and re-
spect for wives and daug hters, and no
man who has neither IS a tit Juror -,
try tho case. He is incapable of u1
derstanding or appreciat;ng the COM
mon peril that, like a shadow, hangs
over the farmers home, be it over so
humble. Parental love Is nearly all
that these people have to give to thcir
chlldren and they give that and cher
lsh them and will defend them as n
tigress defends her whclps. What is
the majesty OF the law worth to a man
whose child has fallen victim to a
brute What Is it to his neighbor who
oil these years has been from time to
time experimenting a similar vista
tiOn What does Il young man, wheth-
er preacher or.editor or lawyer, know
about 1t? Jean lngelow (Got bioss hcr
sweet memory y makes the old fisher
man to say: "l feel for mariners on
stormy nights and feel for wives that
watch ashore Who knows the perils
Of the deep like fisherman? Somo of
those learned judges and lawyers and
preachers OF Atlanta have given vent
to languag that is bitter and malir-
nant against lynchings for any crime,
but 1t is to be noted that they have
long lived In call OF the police by night
and by day and within brick walls and
with neighbors at hand on every side.
What can they know OF the poril Of the
farmer whose wife visits Il ncighbor, or
whose children have to go a milo away
to school.
Perhaps somo 'nquiring mind will
ask what do | know aboutit? Twenty
years ago NOV I'd from the city to tho
country and farmcd thorc for ten yoars.
and all that timo tho approh n sion
grow stronger and stronger, for there
were negroes all around mo on the
farms, and more negroes not far away
working in tho mines. | mover eX-
pressed my fears, not even to my wife :;
but whom our boys all left tho farm for
other avocations, and | had to be away
most OF the time, my wife became
alarmed, and | Immediately left tho
farm and moved to town for security.
SO dtd every nelg hbor that | had, and
our school was brOkCn up and tho whole
settlement abandoned and turned over
to negro tenants. The school hou 90
Was mile away, and l used to look
with parental eagerncss for tho first
appearance OF tho children's hats
as they rose into view over tho distant
hill. Until then / no,cr realized the
common peril that environs the country
people. | have a poor opinion OF opin.
ions unless they como from those who
are competent to judge. Great mon
are not always wise," saith the Scrip
lures. Tho nearer the press is to the
people, tho country people, the more
ready 1T is to apologize, or even to JUS
ttfy, the speedy execution of this class
OF criminals. The preachers and the
press may illuminate and tho governor
proclaim, but l cannot help rejoicing
at every capture and every execution.
The laws delay has nothing to do with
1t. 1t is the spontaneous outburst OF
emotions long felt and long smothored,
and those emotions are based upon
love-love for home and wife and chill
dren, love and respect for tho wivos
and daughters Of the neighbors.
J.ynching negroes for this crimo Is no
evidence OF law !essness among our poo
pie. The crime stands out by it1cif as