The Washington bee., 1901-08-10
From the Daily Post. August 9TH.

Henry P. Cheatham, recorder OF
deeds for the District Of Columbia, was
interviewed yesterday in regard to the
reported utterances of two leading
members of the Afro American Press
Association, now holding its annual
session in Philadelphia. The conven--
tion began Tuesday, and in the Post
yesterday morning was an account Of
The discussion of the subject of lynch
ing, which was participated in by We
a. Pledger, of the Atlanta Age, and
Thomas Fortune Of New York, chair-
nan of the association. According to
rhe reports sent out from Philadelphia,
Pledger said:
81 believe in the transmigration Of
souls. Ii will not De long-I believe /
will live to see the day-before the
soul Of Ben. Tillman, will be wander
ing through the streets in the BODY of
a suck egg dog, with 10 one TO throw
him a crust of bread TO eat. The dollar
and cold steel are the things the white
man respects. MANY of them are afraid
10 lynch us where they know the black
man is standing behind his door with
a Winchester But they arrest US, and
then attack us defenselsss in jail and
lynch us"
Fortune remarks were given as fol.
lows:
"We have cringed and craWled
long enough. | don't want any more
good niggers. | want bad niggerS.
Its the bad nigger with Winchester
who can defend his home and children
and wife"
These extracts were shown to Re-
corder Cheatham yesterday and he
was asked for his views. He read them
over carefully, and after a moments
thought said that he fonnd much to re-
| gret in them
! BELIEVES THEY WE'RE MIsoUoTED-
81 am afraid my bretheren are be-
coming unduiy excited" he said.
Fortune and Pledger are hardly the
men TO make seditious harangues.-
They are too talented and know too
much to make Such-Well, say inCOn-
siderate remarks. am inclined to be-
Iieve thew have been misquoted. IL
they haven't. then they must have had
a very hot debate up there, and N the
very hottest part Of it these words
slipped out unaWaTes.
u , 1
most emphaticslly that want TO have
no part in this new doctrine of the bad
niger and the Winchester That
combination has caused too much
trouble already. Don't understand
me to uphold lynChing. 1t IS greatly
to be deplored, as all crime IS, no mat
ter by whom committed or where, or
what the crime is. All lawlessness is
to be condemned by the blacks as we'll
as by the whites But while that IS
true il affords no excuse for melting to
crime TO check n . form OF lawleSsnesSs
Lynching &c no rea son for the general
arming Of the neg,O. 1t would lead to
most serious tronble and would be the
very worst thing for the negro himself
| cannot bring myself to believe that
such men as PledgeT and Fortune.
whom ! know to be cool and cOnsId-
crate men, could in all seriOsness give
such dangerous and mischleVcus.
advice.
NO REASON FOR MIsCHIEYoUs ADVICE
Another thing, there is apparently
no reason for any such stringent meas
ures. There is no race conflict. he
whites and the blacks are getting along
together very we'll all through the
South. Both are prosperous and
making great strides, materially and
intellectually. Is the laWlessness Of
handful of whites ard blacks here and
there in the South to be allowed TO dis
rupt the prevailing friendly relations,
disturb the constantly improving IN
dustrial conditions, retard progress
9 al. inn AaHr n M m n
! of the negro? | pray not, and never
shall nv voice be raised in support Of
any such short-sightedness and foolish
policy as that reported TO haze been
enunciated by my brethern IN Phila-
delphia.
"Who are the white people of the
South Are they the men who take
part in the lynchings or are they the
men who are sent to Congress. who
are elected governors, the men who.
/ have taken hold of affairs in the South
and are giving ii the impetus that IS
carving il on to future that our lore
/ fathers never dreamed of Are the
! lynchers the people of the South. or
are the merchants, the farmers. the
manufactures, the doctors and the
/ lawyers, the representatives OF the
pToVerbial Southern chllyarv and re-
/ fnementl The white people Of the
South are among the best people on
earth. Take them right there IN Ala
bama, where they had the lynchings
only the other day, and you will ind
thsm warm-hearted. Chilvarous, and
the best friend the negro has. Let
Pledger speak for himself He knows
The best friends he has in the South
are the white people. He has told me
so himself. Fortune knows it, too
"No, can't think that my bTetherD
meant to incite any insuTrection or to,
advise the general armin2 of the ne
gro. Their remarks were brought
out by the heat of some debate, and
if ma le, as reported, are not 10 be
taken seriously"