The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-08-03
The SITUATION IN THE SOUTH
Prcaident E. A. Smyth, OF Pelzer, Has
Plain Talk with Boston News
paper About Lynohtngs and Labor.
Boston Herald, 10th inst.

paper About Lynohtngs and Labo,
Boston Herald 10Th inst
Lynching, as tho only remedy, is
proposition which Mr.. Ellison A
Smyth, chairman OF the sub commits
sion OF the United States industria
commission, now sitting In this city
feels compe lied to support.
MIR. Smyth 10 president OF the Polxel
Man,nniacturing.C Company, OF Pclzer, S
&. This concern operates four cotton
mills, consuming $4,000 balos OF cottor
per year, and 1t literally owns the
town OF Pelzer, which has q population
OF 5000, and IL situated sixtoon milcs
from the city OF Grcenville. The
peizSr Mills arc the largest in the
South.
10 Herald reporter yesterday, Mr.
otnyth, on request, Expressed himself
on the subject OF lynchings. Ho said
that, while he personally abhorred
lynching, yet, In the caso OF assaults
upon helpless women, 1t seemed to bo
the only rcmody-a speedy vengeance
prccludiDg the necessity on tho part oi
tho victims to appear In court tC
testify.
The matter Of lynching in the
South is not fully understood by many
people in Boston," continued Mr.
Smyth. Tho people here hardly re,
allze the conditions existing In many
OF the country districts in several
Southern States. l know OF cases
where white men have felt compelle ed
to remove their families from farms to
neighboring tow ns, rs they wore afraid
TO leave them alone on the farms, oven
during tho day. 1t is an unusual thing
n n n,tfh ff H,,1 l>k u
ing or driving alone, through the
the bitterness, Is increasing.
At first shore were ordinary lynch.
ings, In order to prevent. II possible a
repetition OF these terrible assaults.
Then, in some sections, great brutality
was show In burning and torturing tho
criminals caught In these acts But
nothing seems to prevent them, and
what Will bo the final remedy, or what
will be the result, IT. IL very hard to
tell. Ono cannot judge OF the situa-
tlon unless ono goes South, talks with
the people there and beCOmes familiar
With the conditions surrounding them
During the war the white men of the
South wore in the army, and the white
families, consisting OF women and chill.
dren, were protected by tho colOred
slaves.
"Those old negroes arc held In
great respect and affection by the
Southern white man, but since the war
a generation has grown up, undar nc
restraint and with an immense iden o
It's own Importance, politically and
otherwise. The negro IL not now 6,
much OF u local habitat as formerly
A large class, particularly young mon
from Is to 80 years OF age, aro con
stantly moving, working hero and
there, and 1t Is from these people that
our criminal class Is recruited.
Mr.. Smytn was asked II he had ever
known OF u Case whore white man
suffered iynching for this orinio, aud
he replied that three years ago, with.
In fifteen miles OF whore he lived, u
worthless whlto man assaulted a
colored girl, and was lynched in broad
daylight by colorc1 mea, without op.
position on the part OF the white com.
munlty 1t hnd been known that there
was y movement in this direction, and
tho plan could have hocn frustrated
by the white population II II had
simply boon question Of color. Blu,
tho man was taken from tho hands OF
the State constable and lynchcd along
tho road.
:" do not claim" said MIR. Smyth,
- to be an apolOgist or defender OF the
crime OF lynching, because, APART from
any other consideration, the reaction
on those who participate in it Is do.
grading and Injurious, and lowers
public tOno In every way. But In our
sparsely settled country | do not sec
how 1t IL to be stopped, or what will
bo the outcome. Tho exhibitions OF
brutality tond to degrade tho white
mon who take part in these torturings
and burnings, but the crime must cea1c
before the punishment will slOp, and
the remedy must bo applied thereto
teach these people to have more re-
spoct for womanbood, whether white
or colorod."
Mr.. Smyth also spoke Of the labor
problem In the South. Ho said 1.-THE
great problem Is the c0lored mln In
his relation to life, security and labor
This whole cOlOrod question is one
that permeates every department OF
business and onterprise In the South,
and Ia the great millstone round the
neck OF Southern white labor. The
reason the Southern cotton mills arc
crowded with labor Is not only tho low
price OF cotton, but the competition OF
oilo Coloi ou lht MOI, WIZ Will pay
larger rent for farm, 1.-Two In more
dilapidatcd buildings, ask for less
improvements on the farm during the
season OF the growth OF cotton-which
10 only few months-than tho white
man, and Will work his family produc
Ing cotton. And tho result Ia that he
can made the product cheaper than
tho whito farmer, and live on very
much less.
This Ia the evolution that Is going or
In tho Southern States to-day. The
white farmer who does not own bit
farm 10 boing forced to peek other ON
ployment, and in the cotton mil
villages he finds moro steady and re
munerative labor, with churches
schools and reading room facilities
from all OF which he was dobarred ir
tho rural communities, and with mos
OF which he had never before com,
into contact. Whore there are no cot
ton mills tho renter has 70 cash settle
mont only once a year-Wl on his GRO
Is markctcd-and than he pays hi
landlord, or the merchant to whom h
has given q lien on his crop for I'D
vanccs In supplies received during tn
year. This leaves generally YER
small balance for tho farmer, but
beings tho family to the cotton mil
whore they earn as much In mont
as they would make on the farm IN