The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-12-01
Why SHED EACH OTHERS BLOOD?
Me Cause of the Prevalence of Homicide at
the South
Frons Me Caar,eston .snndoy Nc,os.

thirsty PEI ple2 do not believe that
we are.
One cause which is commonly al
legged Mr. Redfeld demonstrates to b.
unfounded, viz. that the whites OF
South Carolina carry pistols because
Of apprehension of danger from
negroes. For if this were true VIC
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..
Redfcld found in South Carolina 10a
cases Of homicide during the year
1877, in which the color Of the perpe.
traitors was ascertained. Of these 45
whites fell by the hands of whites and
"a blacks by the hands of whites,
making SO h!onioides committed by
whites out of an ascertaincd total of
100. Phc blacks killed 35 of their
own colov and white. The proper
tion is, indeed, greater than at first
appears by these figures, for if we
take into consideration the relative
number of the two races, as Mr.. Red
field argues, the homicides by whites
of whites is much greater in proper
tion than the number Of homicides
of blacks by blacks
We may keep arms, guns and pis-
tolls, at home for the protection of our
property and Of our families, though
this Of itself argues deplorable con-
dition Of society. We carry them up
on our persons not for fear Of negroes,
but to resent insults by our equals
white men. We go armed not for
! fear, buffer resentment.
Another point to which Mr.. Red
fell calls attention is the fact that
while in the Northern States the high
est homicidal sate is found in the
cities, where it is furnished by. the
lowest'foreign population which con-
gregate there, in the South generally,
and in South Carolina particularly,
where there are no large cities, no
violent ciashings Of interests between
labor and capital, no large .importa-
.ion Of foreigners, with their often
peculiar habits and associations, but,
instead of these, all the conditions
for an ideal, law-abiding community,
it is the rural districts in which the
manslayer most abounds. And this
he found to be especially the case in
the upper tier Of Counties. {.
Again he pointed out that while
there had not been as many political
Fatal encounters IN Sog.h Csrcl;aa
since the reconstruction governments
we're overthrown, the number of homi-
cides growing out Of personal diff
c.!:.::eess aud street ARRAYS mas con-
tinued-indeed, has increased. There
was. as much, or more, crime against
the person in South Carolina under
Hauiptoz snd Simpssa as there had
been under Chamberlain and Scott.
If Mr.. Redfeld were writing to-day he
would add that they have SO continued
under Hasood, Thompson, Richard
son, Tillman, Evans and Ellerbe.
For alas SO far from improving in
the seventeen years since Dir. Red
field Erete, II 1880: in shie respect
matters have grown worse
u This homicidai mania Of four people
is due altogether, therefore to neither
race nor political cause. To what is
it4then due? Mr.. Redfeld, like most
Northern writer's, attempts to connect
itywith the habits engendered by the
inatitution of slavery. The short and
decisive answer. to this, at least, as far
as,this State is concerned, is that
there was no such homicidal habit
during; the existence Of that institu-
tion. Der ges.!smen sher fought
dueis; but an many mon were killed in
personal encounters in almost any
single year since the war as were
killed in duels1i in all the previous his
tory Of the State. Indeed, 80 true is
Ethissthats there are rot wanting those
who attribute the increase Of homicide
lin the State to the suppression Of the
:dpolling code,
cannot myself doubt that all the
Neutrality-suspicious. Of this crime have
their origin il the ono great cause,
stosWit: tos habits, engendered by our
late war, and more especially with us
by the actual, il suppressed !. war OF
sreeonstEuction which Followed.
. What are The faanife festatiSns Of this
Ihomioiaai spirit1 Are thcy. NOT these:
The habitual diarcgard Of the
lsssss.a is s s
sIshe iailitary Impress npon civil
goyeisa afne1lt.