The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-10-11
THE cANEY SPRINGS MOB.

If you can point to anything more
brutal and cowardly than the ruffianly
attack by the band of masked muir
derers upon an unoffending party OF
negroes near Caney Springs, Marshall
county-why, don't do it. for that was
wicked and disgracoful enough.
The facts of the case may be learned
from our news columns The question
is will Tennesseans submit to thisS
Has not the murderous mob reached
the end of the rope and is it not time
the rope was being tied about the necks
of some of themY Will law abiding,
peace-loving, chivalric. brave Tennes-
see, sit supinely down and see justice
outraged, law trampied upon and
human beings shot down and murdered
for the pure love of it, and raise no
protest? Is there no love of fair play
left in the white mans hearth Has
the cherished christianity and boosted
civilization of the age taught us to
endure such barbarous behavior, even
when committed at our very eoors2
These negroes had done nothing to
provoke the attack absolutely nothing.
That is almost incredible to believe,
but it is none the less true. They had
assembled peaceably, enjoyed their fes-
tival and were returning to their
homes along the common highway, in
peace and good order, as they had a
perfect right to do, when, without
cause or provocation they were way
laid by masked men and some of them
killed. others wounded, and all made
to flee for their lives.
1t is not enough to say that 1.-THE
good people of the neighborhood deplore
it. That has been said until it is
chestnutty. 1t will not do to say that
"the Sheriff is making all effort to
ferret out the guilty" That is another
figure of speech rancid with age. The
public will believe that the good people
of the neighborhood deplore and con-
denim the foul outrage, when they rise
up to resent it-and not before.
They will believe that the Sheriff is
active aud vigilant and earnest, when
they see some fruits of his work.
They will not believe lies any longer
The good people of Marshall county
land there are as good people there as
are in the worldl ought to organize
and offer rewards for the arrest and
conviction of each and every man in
that mob. And they should appeal to
the Governor to supplement their offer
with another reward from the State
for each separate arrest and conviction.
And the press Of the State and the
good people of the State should urge
upon the Governor that he make these
rewards large enough to interest the
best detectives and insure detection.
OF course this new outrage will start
the rabid partisan press of the North
against the "diabolical outrages of
the South again. The Herald cares
very little for that, however. The
partisan press and pot house poll.
ticians of the North may think and
say what they please without the least
disturbance to our mind or feelings,
But it is the truth that hurts and the
truth is that our laws are not enforced
so as to give protection to the veal
and poor and friendIess. The truth il
that the constitutional rights of the
negro guaranteeing to him protection
for his life and property, are not re
spected; the law is partially enforced
against him, and not enforced at al
for him he is waylaid and murdered
just because he is negro, and tn
Governor of the State and the Sheriff
of the State and the grand Juries o
the State make no honest, earnest
sincere effort to convict his prosecutor
and murderers The Northern pres
cannot say much worse about us thai
that, and the trouble is that it
true.
For the sake of humanity for tn
sake of justice; for the sake of law an
order; for the sake of our own goo
name, it is time the good people of tn
State We're rising mp and demandin
of those il authority that they enforC
the law without fear, favor or affeC
tion, and thereby vindicate ourselvt
of all suspicion of connivance at @
sympathy with that low class of wicke
hoodlums who masquerade as defender
of virtue and guardians of good b
havior.
The Columbia Tenn. Herald is on
Of tha rankaat damOcratic organs