Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-11-15
MANL7'S EDITORIAL.
Tho Wilmington Negro Editor Gives
his Version Of How the Recent
Riots Were Brought About.

New York, November IA special
from Asbury Park. N. j., says:
A L. Manly, editor of the Whining
ton, n. c., Record, whose office was
destroyed by w-.te citizens on Thurs
day, is now in Asbury Park with his
brother-in-law, Rev. L. N. Giles. He
fled from Wilmington to escape prob
able lynching 4: the hands OF the MOP.
which had sworn to have his life. 1t
was through an editorial in the Rec
ord that the recent rioting in VII
Hlington and the attending loss or
life came about
when seen Manly said that while
he was perfectly willing to tell the
story of his troubles as far as he him.
self was concerned, there were some
features of the case he could not make
public at present as the safety of 9TH
ers might be affected.
Manly said that the trouble all grew
out of the fact that the much talked
of editorial in the Record had been
misquoted by the press of North Caro-
lima and only parts of it had been re-
printed with editorials tending to in
flame the whites Of the South. This
he said had been done to try to scare
the white voters for political effect.
He did not seem to think that the edi-
tors of the papers which started the
blaze of riot realized the harm which
would follow the articles printed in
their papers.
The editorial which appeared in the
Record Manly said, was called forth
by speech made by Mrs. FELTON,, be-
fore the agricultural society of Tybee
Island, Ga, early in August. During
her speech Mrs. FELTON, said that mon
ey which was collected for foreign
missions could be spent to better ad-
vantage at home in educating young
white girls. She said that owing to
the carelessness of poor white men or
the South their girls are left victims
of colored men. Then she spoke, ac-
cording to Manlys statement, of the
low moral standing of the colored
race. He says she advocated lynch
irg as the only means of Graduating
these evils.
Manlys editorial in the Record was
a reply to Mrs. Feltons speech. This
editorial inf1amed a large portion of
North Carolina. Manly says he did
not intend to attack any class or race,
but simply wrote as he did to defend
the DETAINED colored man. In this edi-
torial Manly said:
poor white men are careless IN pro-
tecting their women, especially on the
farms. They are careless of their con-
duct toward them, and our experience
among poor white people in the coun-
try tsaGdhees qs that W2mgen WIZ 81 that race
men than are the white men with col
Yored women. Meetings of this kind
go on for some time until the moment
infatuation or the mans boldness
brings attention to them and the man
is lynched"
The very long editorial from which
the above is taken was published on
August IS. Manly says that for nearly
week after it was printed nothing was
said to him about it by the residents
of Wilmington or vicinity and his re-
lations with them were OF the usual
friendly nature until the white press
took up the matter nearly week later
From that time until now they have
attacked him and his paper in every
conceivable way until at last he was
compelled to flee for his life
When asked as to the present situa-
ton at Wilmington, Manly said that as
he had been absent for several days
he would rather not be quoted as ex-
pressing an opinion on that subject
When asked if he intended to return
to North Carolina he replied that that
was another question which he could
not answer at present. There were
facts connected with that part of the
story which might affect others and
he thought it would be best not to
say anything as to his future pros
poets.
Manly would not tell how much his
losses were at the hands of the mob.
All he would say was that he had lost
everything he owned in the world. He
had carried an insurance on his prop
erty, but he said that there was no
clause in the policy which insured
against the fury of mob.