Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-09

1
pie in other sections of the country do not
| realize the point to which this has reach
ed, and the people of the south themselves
| hardly recognize the actual relations of the
! two races. 1t is unnecessary to saw that
| this situation of affairs has arisen as the
| results of frequent criminal assaults on
| white women and children and the prompt
putting to death of the offenders, together
| with the usual prejudices which character
| ize the races wherever they come in con-
| tact in the manner known in the south
A representative of The Star who recently
| spent short time in one of the southern
states found many NANTES tations of the
| gravity of the situation. and was told by
conservative men of both races that unless
| providence interyenes the worst riots and
clashes ever known may be expected at
any time.
rev nights ago turned out in large num-
bers to prevent the lynching of a negro
| the bitter feeling has not been engendered
Dy any recent outbreak between the oppos-
| ing forces. 1t comes largely from svmna
thy over the various lynchings In Georgia
| ana other states. The white people unani-
nlously uphold the Georgia lynchings, de-
| spite the endeavors of newspapers to have
| the law take its course. Even the conserv-
| atVe uttefances of a few local editors have
oeen condemned and they have been made
| 10 appear as sympathizers with the negro
| ana with the crimes he is charged with
committing. This Is an erroneous accusa-
uon. but II Is pointed out as a manifesto
| ton of the critical situation and of the
| iact tnat the people are greatly excited.
GreenviIIe Affair
| The two hundred colored men who gath
cred at Greenville for the purpose of pro-
| tecting one of their number then in iail
| threatened to lynch the chief of police if
| the negro was touched. Incidents of this
| KIND add to the Intensity of the feeling and
| aooner OF later result in some terrible cas-
ia uaity. Ihere was probably intention
| 10 lynch the man at Greenyille as II
| could have been carried out without
trouble: The population of that portion of
| south Carolina is nearly two-thirds white
| ana the white people dominate everything
| ne resistance of the colored men of the
city would not have prevented a lynching
| .du one peen contemplated, but the bitter
, reeliils led TO some one spreading the ru-
| NOR that harm was to be done to the man
| Inc colored people assembled The s,Is-
plclons of the whites became aroused and
| Ihey began to gather. In few minutes
| nghts were in progress. That men were
| not killed was due to the fact thar tho
| riotlng occurred in a factory suburb of
| The city. The factory people did NOT nos
sess many arms nor did the negroes, and
not much blood let Had the latter
| gathered IN some other part of the town
| "here White men possess arms and never
| ueai with the negro except in a severe
| worse. -iioNii
The next night after the Greenville affair
| the colored men of Alexandria patroIled the
ssleSts 70 prevent lynching. This made
| the iynching certain last night it is said
| as the white people expressed the deter
| ninatioD to see that criminal assaults were
NOT upheld by any one. At least that is
| the way they put it. They do not for once
| admit that the colored men assembled 10
| uphold the law ~
| Significant Hints
AT various places throughout the south
| IL is hinted by colored men that they will
| assemble in future when there is prospect
| OF lynchlng member of their race unless
his crime has been so revolving as to dis
| pense with all sympathy even from MEM
| bers of his race. Should this intention he
| carried out regular battles may be ex-
| pected Fart of the time they may result
| from Wild rumors started by excitable
/ men of either race and causing people to
| gather White and colored families will
| be frightened at any rumor. Intemperate
| people of both races will be ready to spread
| wild reports at a moments notice and
clash is just as likely over nothing as over
something serious. This is what good men
| say of the situation, which is practically
| the same in every part of the south
| White women and children living in un-
| protected towns and country places be-
| come wildly excited at any suspicious &C.
| currence. If they should be at home alone
| at night, with only their small children
| with them, any noise the roof of the
| house or in the yard leads to paroxysus
| OF fear. cat on the roof leads for DAYS
| to a suspicion that one was trying
| to get in the house TO insult the women The
1 news OF every assault the subsequent
chase, capture and killing of the assailant
soon becomes known in every nook and
corner, and is pointed out as an evidence of
| the widespread state of crime and probable
! danger to others. Country people who do
| not receive the newspapers are told of these
| crimes by others, with many exaggerations
| OF course The men make threats of what
| they Will Go; the women and children are
suspicious, watchful and excited; the negro
| becomes aroused, swears that another "in-
| nocent" member of his race has been muir
| dered, and threatens and mutters about
| time which will come, etc. This gives only
| faint idea of the intense feeling a. times
| The true picture in its details cannot be
drawn.
| increases Danger.
To add to the other dangers the white
| man buys arms and places them in his
| home. The negro buys when he has the
| money and can do SO without arousing sus-
| picion. These arms are themselves incen-
| tives to bloodshed.
No white man in the south would sup
| pose for an instant that the men of his
| race will adopt other measures for punish
| ing the rapist than lynch law. The more
| the talk of opposition the more speedy is
the doom of the culprt. The white men
say that the negro cannot and must not
resist. If he does they contend that he
will put his entire race in the position of
| sympa thizfng with such crimes. and would
thereby create an enmity which would end
| in nothing but a general race riot. which
| would almost mean determination. They
say they want to live amcably with the
negro. but they know what the remedy is
| for criminal assault.