The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-03-02

Wholesale and irresponsible mur.
der is merely lynch law in fol
frnitage.
Mr.. E D. Smith of this county is
said to be q candidate for the office
of State Superintendent of Educa
1tion We had heard nothing of Mr.
Smiths candidacy until the rumo'
! was circulated from Columbia, and
have no means knowing how much
there is in the rumor Mr.. Smith is
] well Qualified for the position by edu
cation and his experience as teacher.
and would make an ef6ceut and pro-
| gressive officer. He is an enthu-
siast on the subject Of improving the
public school system and extending
this nears of educating the mass of
the people.
The S:a.e Board Of Control has no
idea of abolishing hotel dispeDssries,
although it has been charged time aud
again that these dispenssties are run 10
direct violation Of nearly every section
sof the .dispeasary law.s The hotel
dispensaries pay profit and the profit
feature is the chief consideration after
all.
There never was a wilder fight Of
the Imagination than the idea that B.
r Tillman will be candidate for
Governor this summer He has bet
ter paying job 10 Washington and there
is nothing substantial for him TO gain
BY taking . hand io sbe scrimuage.
Ellerbe. Watson. Schumpert, George
Tiliman ct al will 10. have Ben to fight
and need not worry CO that score
Baker. the Lake City postmaster, was
not killed because he was negro. he
vas sbooxions to the people of the
community because be ~as ignorant.
because be vas insoleDt to toe patrons
of she Office. because be had insulted
ladies, because he was Inefficient and
failed to give the community the postal
facilities 10 which il bad been accus-
toned. because be was brought from
another county aod forced upon the con.
muuity over earnest protests and then
kept in Office in disregard of respect.
full request thai be be removed for good
aud Sufficient reasons that were stated
in the petition. The people of Lake
City we're sbabbily treated by the post
Office department, aud their wish
es ADD feelings we're dissegarded and
over-riddeu With pig headed obssioaoy
that is expla,oable ooly on the bypo-
thesis that Mark HaoDa and bis under
ssrappers we're determined to pay of
.beir political debts TO the uegro bosses
10 the south wisbou: taking into coosid-
Grafton the wishes Of the white peo-
p!e at all. This outrageous aud svnseless
treatment irriated the entire con mani
ty. aud while the better element re-
s,rained their resentment toe ignorant
and more violent let passion have full
play aud the slaughter Of Baker aud bis
family wss the result. The post cfloa
department wocld Dot remove this OBJ
pcxioas negro postmaster at tae request
Of the property o~ners and respectable
citizens Of the town, therefore the Law
less aud iguorant element. always the
most violent in their prejudice
aga;oss she negro, TOOK matters
into their owp hands and removed
biu ia summary aud bloody manner
We emphasize the fact that he was not
killed because be was negro. aud
for 40 other reason be was killed
because be vas obnoxious and be-
cause the postofice department re
fused to remove him although be
vas known to be incompetent as veil as
obnoxious. Were the people of South
Carolina given to killing negroes
because they were appointed possmas