The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-28
MRS. FELTON's SPEECH.

d. $50 RAA1i1Nt%Al NaAAI AAGN1 pa k'NA
published in the State:
MRS. FELTON's SPEECH.
"a Mrs. FELTON, from Georgia makes a
speech before the Agricultural Society at
Tyber, Ga, in which she advocates
lynching as an extreme measure. This
woman makes strong plea for woman
hood and if the alleged crimes or rape
We're half SOC frequent as is ofttimes re-
ported, her plea would be worthy Of con
sideration.
Mrs, FELTON,. like many other so-called
Christians, loses sight of the basic prin-
ciple Of the religion OF Christ in her plea
for our class of people rs against an
other. If missionary spirit is essential
FOR the uplifting of the poor white girls,
why is it? The morals of the poor
white people are on n par with their
colored neighbors of like conditions, and
if any one doubts the statement let
him visit among them. The whole lump
needs to be leayened by those who pro-
fess SO much religion and showing them
that the preservation or virtue is an es-
sential for the life Of any people.
Mrs. FELTON, begins well for she adj
mits that education will bet
ter protect the girls on the
farm from the assaulter. This
we admit and it should not be confined
to the white any more than to the col
ored girls. The papers are filled oftenI
with reports of rapes Of white women,
and the subsequent lynching Of the al
legged rapists. The editors pour forth
yolleys of aspersions against all negroes
because Of the few who may be guilty.
If tho papers and speakers Of the other
race would condemn the commission Of
crime because it is crime and not try
to make it appear that the negroes were
the only criminals. they would find their
strongest allies in the intelligent negroes
themselves. and together the whites and
blacks would root the evil out Of both
races.
I'VE suggest that the whites guard
their women more closely. as Mrs Eel
ton says. thus giving no opportunity for
the human fiend be he white or black.
You leave your goods out Of doors and
then complain because they are taken
away.
Poor white men are careless
in the matter of protecting their
women, especially on farms.
They are careless of their con-
duct toward them, and our ex-
perience among poor white
people in the country teaches
us that the women of that race
are not any more particular in
the matter of clandestine meet
ings with colored men, than
are the white men with colored
women. Meetings of this kind
go on for some time until the
woman's infatuation or the
mans boldness bring attention
to them and the man is lynched
for rape. Every negro lynched
is called a big, burly, black
BRUTE when in fact many of
those who have thus been dealt
with had white men for their
fathers, and were not only not
black and 'burly,' but were
sufficiently attractive for white
girls of culture and refinement
to fall in love with them as is
well known to ALL"
Mrs. FELTON, must begin at the foun-
tain head IL she wishes to purify the
stream.
Teach your men purity Let virtue
be something more than an excuse for
them TO intinidate and torture a helpless
people. Tell your men that it is no
worse for black man to be intimate
with n white woman. than for a white
man to be intimate with a colored WO-
man.
on SET yourselves dDNH aS Il Ipt "
carping hypocrites: in fact yon cry aloud
for the virtue Of your women while you
seek 10 destroy the morality Of ours.
Don't think ever that your women will
remain pure while YOU are debauchins
ours You sow the seed-the harvest
viii come in due time"
No elaborate comment on the
infamous article of the negro pa
per is necessary. It's outrageous,
-