The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-08-16
is IT cHRIsTlAN7 IS IT MORALE
IsIT PATRIOT1CR

1--WE are not going to do anything
but call the recent killing of a negro
near Scotland Neck by It's right name.
The evidence is, from this distance,
that it was murder, not lynching; and
not for the usual crime, bu5 for grossly
indecent conduct, which never the less
did not merit death. We are not 60
ing to shift the responsibility from the
shoulders of the murderers, nor are we
going to condone the crime. But we
do declare that the action of Congress-
man White, Senator Pritchard, the
Postmaster General and the President
of the United States Eve take it that
the first named is the prime mover and
the others are responsible because they
have power to prevent in appointing
negro postmasters in our eastern coun
ties is not altogether to be separated
from the disposition of negroes to be
fiendish or from the disposition OF the
whites to lynch them. 1t is almost an
incendiary act to appoint a negro post
master at Scotland Neck-not thatit is
illegal9 but that it is in the truest sense
vindictive and immoral. Yet this has
been done twice recently. Congress
man White is a negro, and his attitude
can be understood; Mr.. Pritchard's
might be explained upon the ground
Of political obligations; but how can
one believe that the President of the
United States or the Postmaster Gen
eral are also bound to a most reprehen'
sible policy by so mean a considera-
tion9 Indeed it is hard to believe that
the Senator can be so unfeeling, incon,
siderate and short sighted, not to say
vindictive and base"
The above editorial paragraph ap'
peared in the Biblical Recorder Of the
third of August inst. The facts which
called the above editorial utterance
forth seems to be the following:
On the morning Of the oath of July
last, the body of negro man by the
name of Joe Williams was found tied
fast to a tree near Scotland Neck, with
several bullet holes through it. The
people who live in that section, some
of them at least, say the murdered ne
gro had committed no ofense for which
he could have been properly brought
before a court for trial.
Il is not our purpose to go into this
fendish and brutal killing further thar
may be necessary to enable US to ex
anime, as carefully and as calmly az
we may, the abominable teachings o.
the editorial paragraph quoted in full
at the head of this article.
Brother Bailey admits that the kill
ing was murder; and that those who
were engaged in the killing r muir
derers. Very we'll. We shall certainly
not ~controvert either of these admis
sions. We are glad to find it possible
to agree with Bro. Bailey upon a mere
matter of definition even in his ar
ticle, if we may agree with him upor
nothing else contained therein.
Bro. Bailey say S the killing is ''mur
der" If it is murder" it is not muir
der in the sc md degree; it is not man
slaughter it is not justifsble homicide
it is not excusAble homicide; it is plair
simple murder-the highest crime
known to the law; a crime so entirely
un%justifabie, excuseless and incapable
Of exIenuation or paliation, that moth
ing can be said in defense Of it, and ht
who commi 8 it forfeiFs his life to thH
law, and dies a death of infamy and
S name ~unutUerable. This crime, Bro
Bailey says, was committed recently
near Scotland Neck. When he haG
said 50 much, there was nothing
further for him to say about it, unless
he wanted to discharge his duty as ar
editor, as a citizen, as a patriot. as {
Christien. and as a merciful, humane
man by testifying his horror that such
a deed could have been done in the
evening time of this dying century
and upon the soil of his native State
But, instead of this, he seeks to exten
uate, to palate, and, in a measure, tx
excuse, this most brutal and horr1G
butchery Of an ignorant and underliD
fellow creature. And how does ht
seek to bring about this paliation auC
excuse OF a most bloc 1y and inhumaE
deed2 Let Is see.
1--WE do declare that the action O
Congressman White, Senator Pritch
ard, the Postmaster General and tn.
Preaident Of the United States W.
take it that the first uamed is thC
prime mover and the others are re
sponsible because they have power tx
preven') in appointing negro postmaa