The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-07-05
Lynchings in the South.

S, nth? and the answer will undoubted
ly be, Assault upon women.
Booker 7. Washington, of the Tus-
kegon Institute, writes letter to the
Advertiser,a newspaper of Mon gomery
Ala, in which he gives the statistics of
lynchings, North aud South, and speaks
OF the terrible custom in terms that
should receive the serious attention of
men, white or black, North, South
East or West. Mr.. Washington has
the facts of lynChings from an authori'
tative source, which, be says, are the
following for the last year:
During the last year 1877 persons were
lynched in the United States. OF this num-
Der 11S were executed in the South, in the
North and West; of The total number
lynched 1902 were negroes, % were whites
and 2 Indians Now let every one inter-
ested in the South, his country and the
cause of humanity note this fact-that only
"a of the entire number were charged in
any way with the crime of rape; that is,
"a of 1877 cases of lynching. Sixty. one Of
the remaining cases were for murder, 10 for
being suspected OF murder, for theft, etc
During one week last spring when kept
careful record, thirteen negroes were
lynched in three of our southern States and
not one was even charged with rape. All
of these thirteen were accused of murder or
house burning, but in neither case were the
men allowed to go before a court so that
their innocence or guilt might be proven.
When we get to the point where four ffths
of the people lynchod 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.
In further disproof of the standing
cause that is pleaded in extenuation of
this barbarous custom, Mr.. Washing
ton presents the statistics of another
year, 1892:
During this year, 1892, 241 persons were
lynched in the whole United States, SO OF
this number being in northern and western
States and 1856 in our southern States. OF
the 241 lynched in the whole country, 100
were negroes and of these were women.
The facts show that out of the PAL lynched
in the entire country in 1892, but 81 were
even charged with rape, or attempted rape,
leaving in that year alone 1874 persons who
were lynched for other causes than that of
rape
Mr.. Washington could produce the sta
tistics of other years if this were needed.
Within period of six years, he says,
about 900 persons have been lynched
in the south, not much short of the to.
tai number of lives lost in Cuba in the
late war. He calls attention to the
widely varying classes of crimes, or &C.
cusation of crime, to show the southern
people whittier this summary method
of dealing with offenders, or persons
accused or suspected of offenses, is
leading society in the South. The evil
is not moral alone. 1t is material, in
that it is driving hundreds of negroes
from the farming districts of the South.
Mr.. Washington is witness of the
highest competency. He has, in many
ways, deserved and won the respect
and confidence of the people of the
whole country. What he says in de-
precation of the lyncbing habit, and of
the facts of the causes of this violent
administration of justice, which is
often most cruel injustice, which is al
ways brutal and demoralizing to the
last degree, ought to impress its warn
ing deeply upon the aw.abiding, God
fearing class in the South and secure
return to the ways and means of civili-
cation in dealing with offenders.
Mr.. Washington's statistics show
that the cloak OF offended virtue, JUS
tifying summary vengeance, which has
been thrown around negro lynching in
the South is far too small to cover the
hideous dimensions of the practice.
Another explanation must be sought of
the circumstance that the negro is the
within of these barbarties 10 80 great
majority of instances as to fall but lit
tie short of exclusiveness, and that ex-
PLANTATION will undoubtedly be found in
the color of the victims skin. Race
hatred is the bottom and moving cause.
Mr.. Washington has directed his APP
peal for justice to his race, and for the
processes of civilization in Furnishing
offenders, to the right source, to the
Southern white man, and there is as
surance of hearing and the beginning
of remedial action in the fact that a
prominent Southern journal, leading
Democratic paper, gives conspicuous
publicity to the negro's statement of
facts and his appeal