The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1899-12-20
A Letter from Sile.

DEAR CITIZEN: | don't know what
to do, declare for it. It's an awful
thing, now, not to lee proud o TIA"
state you're bon in. An an proud
o. Kentucky for givin us Henry Clay
an Lincoln an Fee an Cassius Clay,
an for beiu' a southern state an still
stickin' to the old Union. But il this
lynching business keeps up much
longer, | don't know what WiH think.
About ten OF us were talkin' about
il after the big meetin' Sunday, an
we was all with one exception just the
deadest kind agin il. | never saw
John Harrison so rousted up
about anything He said he wished
we could just take that old town
where they went an burned the mig
ger au' just cut it clean of of Kentuc-
Ky, SOS TO throw il in the Ohio river
or some place worse. An there didn't
many Of us say no to it, neither, for
We was all plumb mad, an forgot
that there was innocent folks there as
well as guilty.
But Doc Hardy kinder talked 10th.
or way. Hold on, men, says he,
"Just think what that ar niger had
done. reckon he was the blacklist
heartedest rascal that ever grew on
Kentucky soil. II it had been your
home, John, that he broke up, you'd a
wanted him treated rough now, an no
mistake"
That's all right" says John. 81
would wanted him tried an hung
accordin' to law, an that's what would
have happened to him sure enough II
that mob had left him alone. But as
for burnin' him, why If he was the
devil himself. it wouldn't be nay bust,
ness to burn him! Those who read
their Bible awful literal an don't al
low for no figures of speech, think
that God is goin' to burn at the last
day those that He knows needs il an
cant he made to quit their meanness
no other way. But il He does, He'll
wait till He's most everlastingly sure
that He has caught the right ones, an
that they are responsible in the full
est an last an utmost sense for what
they've done. He won't hold brute
beasts nor crazy men responsible, an
some men what dou't have the name
of bein' crazy, but whose parents
have taught 'em to do british things,
won't be held quite 80 responsible as
we good folks imagine. II amt our
business to pass everlasting Judge
ment on no man"
well" says Doc, "that sounds pur-
ty, but we've got to punish these mas
ty murderers an assaulters mighty
rough, just in self defense. There
now"
"Of course" says John. 81 amt a
sayin' that the guilty shan't be pun
ished, strict and severe. They shall,
If I'm the Judge. But when a mob o
so-called respectable citizens can
break the law, they're settin' fine
example o. law -breakin' for the ras-
Gals 10 follow. There now, your own
self And as for this heathenish
burniu', you know, il you read history,
(which you ought TO If you don't that
such awful severity don't stop the
committin' of crime. II never did, an
il never will. There's more murders
an assaults now than there used to be
two 10 one, an these lynchings amt
atonnin' am THEY'RE lust maxim ii
worse, I think. They make those
what are half way inclined to do the
deviltry feel more ON teret, like
with those they IRE thinkin' o'doin it to
An il stirs up sort OF revenge feel
ing, an makes 'em crazier than ever.
And well, for once in nv life
didn't say nothin'. | was just toe
riled up to talk straight, an John wal
a doin' il 30 well, | just lot him do i
all,
Yours truthfully,
SlLAs SHINGLES,