The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-09-10

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equirm and become fidsety over the
comments of The Constitution on the
race riots at the north. especially at
Soiats where civilization has slept for
three-quarters OF a century in the same
bed with aboIitionism. We are not sur
prised that our contemporary should
fret some: under the circumstances. IL
Is not only natural. but is somewhat
hopeful sign
Nevertheless. we cannot conceal from
ourselves the fact that the heat AMI
fury of The Press would be Iar
healthier symptom IL the editor could
be prevailed ON to see the folly OF the
argument which is based on the losie
os you're another" What does that
prove but the truth os the claim which
The Constitution has been making all
alOns-namely, that under similar
conditions and circumstances. white
human nature at the north IS pretty
much the same as white human nature
at the sOuths Whereas, such organs as
The Press have been trying To identity
all southerRers rs lynehers. and al
nOrtherners As philanthrop.sts anu
philosophers
The truth is. rs David Harum would
say. there's rs much human natur IN
one section as the is in another. II not
more. and there seems 10 be considera-
bly more in Akron than in other parts
81 the country. II the negro population
in the Western Reserve OF Ohio were
as dense rs il is in the black belt in
Georgia. there might seem 10 be some
excuse Tor those who made m EFFORT
Tn lynch the negro raper- But as
matter ~ fact. although abolitionssm
was rife in that locality before the
war and though John Brown lived
there il has not been favorite resort
for the negroes. They have not settled
there in any large numbers and there
was no danger that the negro criminal
who created all the excitement would
Be- able 10 incite other negroes TO fol-
low his example. The end and aim az
iynching is the warning which il car
ries TO the vicious and evil-minded.
The Akron affair seems 10 have had its
origin IN the blind desire OF part OF
the white population IN do as much
mischief as they could while they were
about IL.
In some % its comments on this in
teresting ON break n the very bosom
~ civilization. The Constitution stated
that in no section Os the country dur
ing the past thirty years has the fury
az mob been carried TO such excess
as that which characterized the wild
aud .udiscriminate lawlessuess mani
Tested az Akron. This the amiable and
courteous editor Of The Press says is
Il deliberate falsehood" This may he
the language 81 the higher civilization
o. the north OF ms. but il Is not argu-
sort az basis The Press refers TO the
case ~ sam Hose. who was burned
near Newman For the particulars OF
the crime committed 10y that brute-for
the details which place il in . category
by ITSELF In The annals Of crime-we
Cheerfuiy refer the heated editor TO
Or. George Hepworth. the Oldest and
most DISTINGUISHED member Of The
New York Herald's editorial st2ff. That
gentleman came 10 Georgia. iuvesti-
gated the matter. received the details
~ the crime from the lips OF the vic
tim and went away convinced. not that
tho burning 81 Sam Hose was necessa-
Y. but that the p-ovOcation was OF n
nature well calculated TO incite ii i'm
any community Of whites in the coun-
try
We call the attention OF the cultured
editor u The PTess 10 another fact
which : NOT entirely unworthy Of his
attention. The search Tor sam Hose
extended over several days. and was
carried ON iii counties widely sgpaTat-
eli. yet those who were seeking for
him made TO reprisa.s Of any kind
whatsoever. They burned no buildings
and they killed 10 innocent people.
Taking the case of Peck as an exam
PIE. what would have happened in
Akron If such a crime IS that com
miTted BY sam Hose had occurred in
that community? Why. the town
would have been utterly destroyed. and
hundreds az mn0cent lives would have
been sacrificed.
The Press takes Offense because The
Constitution stated that the good ana
Kind Mckinley was ut Canton only
twenty miles away. Wei. that was a
mistake. The good and kind Mckinley
had been called to Washington, but his
dOmicile. the front porch from which
he has been in the habit OF dispensing
maXims. moral and political. is in Can
ton. only twenty miles away. But. real
~. the remark was intended To- relieve
10 some extent the lurid nature OF the
news from Akron by suggesting
contrast. Here on one hand was the
Akron mob. footing. burning and kill
ing innocent PEOPLE old and young. be-
cause it could not get 1T a negro Grim
inaI. while on the other hand there
Eve asSumedl was the good and kind
Mr.. Mckinley trying out a caldron
OF maxims warranted 10 fit any argu-
ment or issue. We took some pride I'm
presenting this picture OF peace and
content as a contrast to the furious
work OF the republican mob.
Why should The Press fret and wor-
r. over what il cannot hep? What dif-
ference does il make whether the good
and kind Mckinley was in Canton or
Washington And how does il excuse
the mob in Akron or the race riot in
New York 10 say that mObs have OPP
Grated elsewhere? We can understand
the embarrassment OF such newspa-
pers as The Press. after all their horta-
tory remarks about southern lynch
ings, but we cannot understand how
they can Justify these outbreaks in