Lancaster enterprise. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1891-1905, 1901-03-09

abiding and terror to evil doers ;
that it might be seen and known
of all people of this country, white
and black, that the strong arm OF
the law would be stretched out to
protect thus the humblest negro
against oppression and wrong.
"Other newspapers throughout
the State acted in the same way
not as sensation, mongers, but as
good citizens and champions of a
righteous cause. There were no
flaming headlines, no startling
scareheads. But the publication
was accompanied with very strong
words of condemnation of the in
human treatment of the negro
and with equally strong words OF
commentator of the charge of
the court.
''It was to be expected that
newspapers in other States would
take notice of matter of so much
public interest-nor had we any
desire to hide this ugly thing
from the eyes of our sister States.
Newspapers were only doing their
duty in giving it the utmost pub
licity and in condemning it in
scathing terms.
cit gives me pleasure to say
that, with few exceptions, the
great journals in all parts of the
country did their duty in this
regard but some newspapers,
and notably one, went far be-
yond the proper limits of jour
nalistic criticism. l especially
refer to The North American, a
Philadelphia newspaper.
"It seems that that paper sent
staff reporter to this county,
and while we have no desire to
discourage the sending of spe-
cial correspondents from Phila.
delphia to Anderson county for
the purpose of finding out the
exact truth, let them tell the
truth ; let them treat a serious
subject like this with fairness
and candor.
Facts when distorted are
more miscellaneous than false
hoods. I do not say that the
special correspondents of The
North American deliberately
wrote what was not true, but
l do say that his account was
greatly exaggerated, far too
highly colored, essentially mis-
leading and grossly unjust.
"It is foolish to talk of the
necessity of interfering by con-
gress and the federal courts.
They ignore the fact that the
court and the grand jury have
brought the matter into public
attention and were busy inves-
tigating it. We are able to deal
with this matter without any
outside help We do not wish
to wash our dirty linen in the
federal laundry. There is no
politics in this matter, no party
issue, not even a race issue, not
even indirectly. 1t is purely
and simply the righting of a
grievous wrong We protest
against the very idea of outside
interference. 1t is untrue, as
this paper states, that the testi-
mony of negroes is not believed
in our courts"
The judge here cited several
cases before him recently, in
which the evidence of negroes
had been accepted by juries in
preference to that of white men.
Judge Benet also mentioned
that this matter had been called
to the attention of the govern or,
who had forwarded to the solic-
itor a letter received by him.
The judge said he had not heard
Of the matter until the trial of
the Newell case, and was aston
ished beyond measure by the
therain
Turning to the audience, he
said that he wanted to advise
the negroes not to believe ru-
mors which were going about
as to the invalidity of all labor
contracts. He said the court
will enforce all lawful contracts