The Chicago world., 1900-01-27

date presented 1T to the people than
because it contained any fascinating
features. His platform was substan-
tally as follows: Education units
the Negro for usefulness in the south
the mistake of the south has been in
providing educational facilities for the
Negroes; therefore pledge myself, if
elected governor of Mississippi, to use
my office, as governor, 10 discourage
and prevent all efforts to provide for
the Negro's education" In his
speeches he referred to Booker T. Wash
ington, the Negro educator, as doing a
world of harm to the southland, and
spoke of those who encouraged him in
his work of educating the Negro youth,
as being real enemies of that section.
AS this man grew more and more
blatant, and as thousands of the best
citizens seemed to approve his course,
by their presence and applause, the
Mississippi colored citizen naturally
grew apprehensive, and wondered what
the harvest would be.
Bu; at the democratic state conven-
ton this Negro-hating aspirant was
rejected, and A. H. Longino was NOM
mated, and was elected at the Novem-
Der election.
On the 10th of January he was in
augurated, and sent his first message
to the state Legislature. In that mes
sage he makes himself as conspicuous
ly in favor of honest, fair dealings with
| the colored citizens of his state as his
opponent on the stump had declared
against them.
This is turning the tray with the
Negro at the right end of it, and we
congratulate our brethren in Missis-
sippi upon their citizenship under her
new governor In his message the gov
ernor appeals to the lawmakers of his
state for aid in his efforts to suppress
violence in this strong, straightfor-
ward manner:
Il hail this opportunity as auspicious
for an appeal to the legislature and
people to stand by the incoming admin
istration in the enforcement of the law
and the suppression of mobs. Lynch
| ing first found liberation and then JUS
tiicatiOn in the state in sublime re-
spect for the virtue and honor of our
white women, and true 10 the rule. in
| this as we'll as in all other cases where
public opinion either condones or APP
proves the disregard of the law, it is an
incentive to other acts of lawlessness,
and so on ad infnitum.'
This is as surprising as it is welcome,
coming, as it does, from the governor of
a state which has to her credit, for the
| year 1S99 more lynchings than any 9th
er state in the union, except bloody
| Georgia, and which lynchings were, for
the most part, either encouraged or
condoned by a large majority of "the
best citizens"
After declaring that lynching first
| found Classification in the state in Il
! sublime respect for the virtue and hon
or of our white women" as a matter of
| paIliation or eXtenuation for its enter
! ing the state at all, the governor tells
| how it is now being used as means of
! punishment for other crimes. As a
result of tolerating lynching as a pro-
lection TO 'the virtue and honor of
our white women," the new governor
! says:
"As a common sequence, therefore,
| lynching in the state is visited upon the
| suspect, not only for rape, but of hOmi-
eide, houseburning, and even lesser ac-
cusations and offenses, and yet the mob
though in many instances acting with
out mask or disguise, has with but few
exceptions gone its way without pun
ishment or even indictment, so far as
the public has been advised"
The fact that a governor of a great
state of highly civilized people, can
truthfully say, in a state paper careful
ly and deliberately prepared for the
public, the things that the new gov
ernor of Mississippi here says of that
state, is strong proof that Bibles and
churches long associated with people
do not always result in civilizing that
people.
Yet the new governor says "the
mob spirit is no greater in Mis-
sissippi than in other states where SIM
! liar race intolerance exists" Though,
according to this solemn statement of
the new governor, the same condition
prevails throughout the southern
states, not one of the thousands of
white Gospel preachers raises his voice
against this awful prevailing evil. They
are too busy fighting sin at long range
in Europe, Asia, Africa and the
islands of the sea--to notice such little
sins as lynching and burning Christians
at home by their prominent church
members and leading church officials.
The new governor, in his message.
does not content himself with simply
denouncing and deploring the wretched
condition of his own state, but goes on
to make wholesome recommendations
in which he asks for a law that the
county in which lynching is committed
shall indemnify the dependents of
the lynched, and that the sheriff or
officer having in charge the prisoner
at the time of lynching shall be dis