The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1901-11-28
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
The BalltOWn Riot is Discuss
ed by a Georgian.

1.-THE Wisdom Of the Spirit of
Law Grades Punishment by
Degrees of Crime lis Lynch
ing Justiia ble?--The South S
Efforts to Educate Her People
Negroes Plea for Peace
Tangipahoa's All Right
Search for Oscar Palmer
Pink Teas-Immortal Conduct
In Parks.
St Elmo, Columbus Ga, Nov.
4, 1901. To the Editor of The
Times-Democrat:
I find a quotation from your
paper of recent date that evidenc-
es grave, serious view OF certain
events occasionally happening in
the South. This view pcnetrates
further than this, and evidences
on your part kindness of heart
that has in it ring of true metal,
lofty patriotism that enfolds
the future IN its warning, not only
the now, but the welfare of chill
dren' S children.
An evil cultivated in one genera
ton, like seed soWn, may die in
that generation; on the other
hand, it may send it's talnt
through many generations.
Favorable circumstances may
meet, and, opposing, stop its
progress; other congenial circum-
stances may surround and foster
the germ and extend the baleful
influence indefinitely.
These reflections came to me
on reading your cautionary COM
ments upon the late violences in
Washington parish, La. You
say:
1T is indeed high time that
everyone understood that in
yielding to this spirit of lawless-
ness the people of Louisiana, of
whatever race or color or section,
are lnhicting wounds upon the
body polite OF the Commonwealth
wounds which may citatrlze
with time, but the scars of which
will remain upon the souls of
their children children to the
third and fourth generation. "
With admiration, and even rev.
crence, for the dignlfed' and Sc
rious views advanced by you, |
have a question or two l would
suggest, and view of this mat
ter wish to present to you. |
do not write this for notoriety.
am only Interested morally,\ So
cially and patrlotically. lam not
unknown in Louisiana, was once
a citizen there and started my
soldier life for the South from
Louisiana.
What enormity of crime or
viciousness of brutality can be
conceived of that is equal to that
of the Language has no term to
charac terize him) thing, Holts,
the black brute at Newman, Ga,
who killed the father and dragged
the wife and child through his
blood; then assaulted the beaten
and bloody body of the mother,
and threw the child can't pic
ture it?
What shall we call the act of
the stalwart blacksmith at Tex
arkana, Tex, who abused and
criminally assaulted the siX-year-
old-child, and lest she tell on him,
placing one of her poor little anli-
les under his heavy boot, with
her other little foot in his hands,
tore her asunder to her bowels?
What crime shall we call that
committed by a black on the
schoolgirl near Troy, Ala, where
he, having assaulted, bit and
chewed the cheek of his esisting
victim, as wild beast would have
done, trying to kill her?
1t is all nameless and no statue
covers the crime. whatever it
may be. AN eye for an eye"
was the spirit OF the law as given
by the great lawgiver, but he
never dreamed of such complica-
ton of infamy, or his lex tallonis
would have marked its punish
ment. Israel afterwards had to
find law for it's like committed by
its own brother. Benjamin. See
Judges, XXX, 21.
tits not the satisfaction of lust
on an unwilling female. Pardon
this harsh language. If you go
to the lowest depths, where may
be heard the walls of the lost,
and ask the souls of the damned
to utter their foulest denuncia-
4,o,,e, of tho hi i1ltr = n that con-