The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-11-30

A Calm and Philosophical Discut
sion OF a Great Evil that Casts il
Blight Upon Southern Civilization
Time Now for our People to Eman
cipate Themselves from the Tyrann
of Bloody Custom.
The following contribution to the Sun
day News is from the pen of Col Edwar,
McCrady, of Charleston, and merits care
full perusal from all of our citizcns-Ep.
Every law-abiding citizen mus
stand appalled, at the frequency 0
homicide in the State There il
scarcely an issue Of paper which dos
not chronicle or comment upon somC
affray or difficulty" as it is euphemis
tically termed, involving the life o
some citizen. 1t is verify true that oul
brothers blood cries out from the
ground against us.
Some years ago-1SS0-there ap-
peared work entitled Homicide
North and SouLh,' in which MIR. Red
field, the author, in no unkindly spirit
examined and discussed this subject
The result OF his investigation was
fearful!
First. He found that from the re,
ports OF our own newspapers it ap-
In our Southern States were propor-
tionately greater than in any country
on earth the population Of which is
rated as civilized.
Second. He found that the number
OF homicides in the Southern States
In the fifteen years before he wrote
reached the enormous aggregate Of
100000.
In these Investigations Mr.. Redtield
ln Stnt 81
lucky and South Carolina for figures
upon which to base his estimates,
because In each of these States there
was published newspaper covering
local affairs in the entire State with q
degree of thoroughness that enabled
at least an approximate collection OF
cases OF homicides for given period.
The year 1878 was taken as an average
year. The result presented some
amazing contrasts and brought out the
differences in this respect between
Southern and Northern civilization in
fearful colors. 1t is painful and mort
lying for Southern man-for South
Carolinian-to tell even to his own
people what was thus shown. But u
recognition OF evil must come before
any effectual effort to amendment. If
with shame, at least with frankness
let us look at the condemniug facts.
IL !oAnS uurihB Iue year there were
more homicides than in the ten States
of Maine, New Hampshire Vermont,
Massachusetts,, Rhode Island, Con
necticut, New York, Pennsylvania,
Michigan and Minnesota, with an ag-
gregate population Of nearly, if not
quite, seventeen millions.
In Kentucky that year there were
more homicides than in the eight
States of Maine, New Hampshire, Yer.
mont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Min.
nesota, with an aggregate population
of nearly ten millions.
In South Carolina that year there
were more homicidcs than in the eight
States of Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, Michigan and Minnesota,
with an aggregate population of about
six millions.
In this old State of South Carolina,
with q civilization dating back two
centuries, there are more than twice
as many men killed annually than in
all the six New England States with
more than four millions Of Inhabitants.
Manslaughter in the old State of South
Carolina was twelve or fourteen times
more frequent than in the old State of
Massachusetts.
Mr.. Redfeld's work was published
In 1880, seventeen years ago. Is it not
fact that the crime of homicide has
rather increased than decreased since
he wrote? We fear that it has.
Texas was long a frontier State. 1t
had had but loose Government, as
an independent Republic, and it's
immense area rendered 1t but
sparsely populated community. II
still retains much of frontier life.
Kentucky, too, had borne the same
relation to the colonies and the old
thirteen States, and the bloody i'm
preston of those early times it seems
impossible to efface. But, as MIR. Red
field points OUT there is nothing in
the early history of our community to
have given such turn to the people
OF South Carolina. it Is an old com.
munity, with conservative manners
and ways, and, as between the whites,
without the friction of varying nation
alities, and without the lower foreign
population, In which most Of the crime
of violence in the Northern States is
found. There Is no reason why homi-
eide among the whites of South Caro-
lima should bo more frequent than
among toe American born citizens of
New England. And yet, measured by
relative population, Mr.. Redtield finds
manslaughter among the white people
OF South Carolina to be more than ten
times more frequent than among
American born citizcns OF New Eng
land. 1t Is true, L believe, that this
terrible proportion is confined to homi-
eide, and does not include murder. Our
people do not kill from malice or for
plumber, but in hot blood for fancied
wrongs. Murder is everywhere, but
the fact that homicides are so much
more frequent in the Southern States
than elsewhere should put the South
ern people upon inquiry as to the cause
and the remedy.
Now what Ia the cause OF this !?
These figures show that we are q
bloodguilty people. Are we blood
thirsty people? do not believe that
we are
One cause which is commonly al
legged Mr.. Red6eld demonstrates 10 be
unfounded, viz, that the whites OF
South Carolina carry pistols because OF
apprehension OF danger from negroes.
For IL this were true we would surely
find that the whites use their pistols
more frequently against blacks than
against those OF their own color. The
reverse Is the case. Mr.. Redfield
found In South Carolina 100 cases OF
homicide during the year 1877, in
which the color OF the perpetrators