The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-05-31
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
Leaves Negro Problem to Wiser Heads
Than His.
A.tlanta Constitutions.
Than His.

save the country Wl61OuG iuItASI aS
sistance from me, and SO | will swear
OFF for the present / don tcare much
whether the negro goes to, Africa or
Arizona OF stays here. II he stays
shere.he has got to stop his devilmsnt
or take the consequences, and ] m
willing to trust the people on that
line; But Of all the absurd remedies
that have s;been proposed none are
more so than7a change ofvenue and a
trial IN FIVE days in some distant
county. County lines do not bound
the fierce indignation Of people hor-
rifedsand snraged over such fendish
work as that Of Sam Holt and Will
/ Lucas. And besides, just think Of
the machinery that has to be set in
motion to summons and convey thirty
5or forty witnesses to a distaps county,
and even then perhaps no Szial or a
meek trial that. disregards the forms
sofs Law and the rights Of the criminal.
{ No. that is 40. remedy.
But I've sworn of. Let the wise
men settle it, though IS confess ] was
surprised when I read that Governor
Gandler hadsj Just discovered that edu-
cation wasithe only remedy that would
stop the commission Of these heinous
crimes. According to statistics Of
New ork and Mass achusetts, taken
from their State prisons and published
/ tp tie world, education fosters and in
screases criime-not little; but i'm
smensely The governors theory has
been long since exploded. And right
here IN Georgia the uneducated negro
before the war and for few years
after was moral and lawabiding and
] IiC now there are 4 600 in the State and
county chaingangs, IS per. cent Of
whom can read and write.
But I forbear. Ihad rather rumi-
nate about pleasanter things, though
Imust protest against this utterly I'M
atenable basis of all the negroes being
good negroes excepting 5 per cent!
Mr.. Inman started it, and / see that
Bishop Gaines takes comfort from it
sit IL shis beautiful and impressive ser
mon Of last Sunday. It is a delusion
and a snare, Nearly 5 per cent Of
their voting population are now in the
schaingangs; and itsis.safe TO say that
sifI everyone who steals was arrested
! and punished it would add 10 per
cent more to the black army Of con-
yiicts. Petty larcenies are common in
every household where they are en-
sployed, but they are not brought to
court. These little pilferings are
crimes, but the crimes are condoned-
oyerlooked-for they have some good
qualities, and their service is needed.
eItiis aracs trait, and develops with
education, especially among the young
er negroes. The records Of the courts
prove thatthe percentage Of small lar
sceny and burglary grows faster than
their population increases. City ne
groes and town negroes are more ad-
sdicted to it than country negroes, for
they have more education and more
opportunities. This fear Of the law
as il is now does not deterthem The
fear Of the lash would. But we can
worry along with their little pilferinga
on the principle that cook we once
had declared to me when I reproved
herfor stealing: ssY on don't miss what
Il takes 1t is the greater crimes
that now give our people deep concern
and these will be quickly and terribly
avenged. Ourspeople, especially the
country people, are in desperate ear
nest, and neither law nor lawyers
nor the horns Of the altar will protect
q brute in human form, whether he be
white or eolored.
But what makes my thoughts and
my pen glide along on this subject? {?
My wife is calling me now to come
there and bring the stepladder. She
wants the vines on the trellis tied up,
and / am the boy. That ladder is old
and rickety and / am subject to verti-
90 sometimes. I'm afraid Of that lad
der, but never in my life did I admit
) to her that ! was afraid Of anything,
and SO I will mount that ladder with
all the alacrity I can. The time was
when had black boys andwhite ones,
TOO, to wait on me, but now | have to
tote my own skillet and nurse the
grandchildren. too. There are two
little ones here half the time and they
love me dearly and [ have to stop
writing whenever they say so. They
want me in the garden to get flowers