The Afro-American advance. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1899-19??, 1899-05-27
Special TO Tnx ADvAscr

The murder of Sam Hose, with
all its sickening details as published
in the daily press, has almost over
whelmed my powers Of expression
The conditions confronting not
only Afro Americans but American
christians and patriots, as illustra-
ted by the lawless element Of VIII
mington. Lake City. Palmetto and
Newman are not only disheartening
but appalling, from every point of
view. Like thousands and thous-
ands Of our women, writhe under
the contumely scattered with prod
igal hand upon our race by the
ever active class who find c0tor the
basis for accepting the most awful
reports as true, without regard for
the possible injustice being inflicted
upon the innocent, though help
less. class 10 be found among all
people-tlIose whose lives are in
evidence from generation to gen
Grafton as conscientious, moral,
upright and peace-loving citizens.
| feel the woes of my race and ]
am not Indifferent as to tho possi-
BILE effect of the injustice of the
present ruling powers upon the
best development of the coming
generation.
! travail in spirit over the british
level to which the human specie
can fall. When with the torture
of the wretched Sam Hose is added
the cowardly justification of the
awful punishment, my hopes in the
humane justice Of the present ru.
ling forces in this country are com
pletely deadened. IL cannot be
denied that the men who, in utter
defiance of law and Christian in
stincts. tortured Sam Hose lost an
opportunity that they cannot hope
will be duplicated, of giving abso-
Int proof TO the world of the
crime charged against the man. A
fair trial before jury Of black and
white men would probably have
revealed no more than what has
publicly become known as it is. If
the charge could have been proved,
the sympathy and cooperation of
all decent people, regardless of
color. would have prevented the
miscarriage of justice. There can
be no doubt on that score.
Many claim that the dense igno-
rance and poverty Of the blacks in
sequestered hamlets is cause suffi-
cient for reputed bestiality. l have
travelled through the South and
know that the ignorance Of the
poor whites parallel the blacks;
consequently, the word of an ig-
norant white person is of no more
value, in my estimation. than the
word of an ignorant black person.
If certain conditions reduce black
men 10 the level of the brute, the
frenzied action of the Newman mob
proves that like conditions bring
about like results in both races.
The poor whites are. in a majority
of eases, struggling under the
same losses as TO crops and lack Of
schools as the poor blacks. During
eleven months, | made many per-
sonal visits to cabin jewellers in
Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and
Mississippi, and | can testify as to
the poverty and moral degradation
of the poor whites of the South.
So. instead Of kicking continuous
~ the under-dog as it were, Chris.
tian forces should be aroused
without loss of time for the chris
tianizing and general nplift Of the
South.
| have read and pondered over
the many accounts Of the Newman
horror, but do not trust accounts.
As to the real character of the re.
puted crime. we must take the tes-
timony of Sam Hoses murderers.
II the Afro American League or
the Afro American Council. which
now includes the original League,
was in financial condition. through
popular subscription. to secure and
pay for expert investigators and
space in the great daily papers of
the country. we could then trust
the result. ahdif reports pointed 10
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