The age-herald., 1899-06-22
He Submits Some Statistics on
 LyDchingS' FOUR-FIFTHS OF MEN HUNG Are Suspected of Crimes Other
 than Rape. HE APPEALS TO SOUTHERN MEN To Uphold the Law But Admits That There is Too Much Crime Among
 Negroes-Idleness is
 the Cause.
lE APPEALS TO SOUTHERN MEN

Booker T. Washington, president of the negro school at Tuskegee, has given to the press an interesting discussion of the race problem. He submits statistics showing that four-fifths of the lynchings are for crimes other than rape. His paper in full follows:
 To the Editor of the Age-Herald:
 Several times during the last few months, while our country has been shocked be- cause of the lynching of negro citizens in several states, was asked by many and tempted to say something upon the sub ject through the press.
 At the time of these lynchings I kept si- lent for the reason that I did not believe the public mind was in a condition to listen to a discussion of the subject in that calm, cool manner that it would later, when there would be no undue feeling or excitement. In the discussion of this or any other mat ter little good is accomplished unless we are perfectly frank. There is no white man in the south who has more sincere love for it than 1 have; and nothing could tempt me to write or speak that which did not think was for the permanent good of all the people of the south Whenever adverse criticism is made upon the south feel it as keenly as any member of the white race can feel it. It is therefore, my interest in everything which pertains to the south that prompts me to write as l do now. While it is true that there are cases of lynchings and outrage in the northern and western states, candor compels us to ad- init that by far the most of the cases or lynchings take place in our southern states and most of the persons lynched are ne- groes.
 Appeals to Southern Sentiment
 With all the earnestness of my heart I want to appeal not to the president Of the ATV JFIF tNt1n people of New York nor of New England, but to the citizens of our southern states, to assist in creating such a public sentl- ment as will make human life here just as safe and sacred as 1t is anywhere else Tn the world.
 For a number of years the south has ap- pealed to the north and to federal authori- ties through the public press, from the public platform, and most eloquently through the late Henry w. Grady. to leave the whole matter of the rights and protec- tion of the negro to the south, declaring that it would see to it that the negro would be made secure in his citizenship. During the last half dozen years the whole country, from the president down, has been inclined more than ever to pursue this policy; leav- ing the whole matter of the destiny of the negro to the negro himself and to the southern white people among whom the great bulk of negroes live. By the present policy of non-interference, on the part of the north and the federal government, the south is given a sacred trust. How will she execute this trust? The world is waiting and watching to see
 This question must be answered largely by the protection it gives to the life of the negro and the provisions that are made for the development of the negro in the organic laws of the states. I fear that but few peo- ple in the south realize to what an extent the habit of 1ynching, or the taking of lMe af 1o,fy hoe h0l1 of us and to what an extent it Is not only hurting us in the eyes of the world but in- turing our own moral and material growth
 Where It Has Led Us
 Tvnching was instituted some years ago with the idea of punishing and checking outrage upon women. Let us examine the cold facts and see where 1t has already led us and where it Is likely further to carry us if we do not rid ourselves of the habit Many good people in the south and also out of the south have gotten the idea that lynching Is resorted to for one crime only I have the facts from an authorative source:
 During last year 127 persons were lynched In the United States. Of this number llS were executed in the south and in the north and west Of the total number lynched. TOP were negroes. g were whites and Indians. Now, let every one inter- ested in the south, his country and the cause of humanity note this lact-that only 24 of the entire number were charged in any way with the crime of rape; that is 24 out of 127 cases of lynching. Sixty one of the remaining cases were for mur der. 13 for being suspected of murder, and 6 for theft. etc. During one week last spring, when l kept careful record. l3 negroes were lynched in three of our south ern states, and not one was even charged with rape. All of these 13 were accused of murder or of house burning, but in neither case were the men allowed to go before a court that their innocence or guilt might be proven. When we get to the point where four-fifths of the people lynched in our country in one year are for some crime other than rape we can no longer plead and explain that we lynch for one crime alone. Let us take another year. that of 1899, for example. During this year of 1892, 2ll persons were lynched in the whole United States. Thirty-six of this number were lynched in northern and western states, and 1S6 in the southern states. Of the 2H lynched In the whole country. 160' were negroes and Of these were women. The facts show that out of the 2H lynched in the entire country in 1892 but 57 were even charged with rape, or attempted rape, leaving in that year alone 14 persons who were lynched for other causes than that of rape. If it were
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