The leader., 1902-12-17
REVIVAL OF WHITEcAPIsM.

its nature and purpose.
Since the announcement of the
organization in Amite, the move
ment has spread to the eastern
part of Franklin, and the western
and southwestern portions of Lin
coln; and, like all organizations
which have for their object that
which is antagonistic to the laws
of the State, dishonoring to her
name and contrary to the best in
terest of organized society, its
evil character has increased with
the spread of the movement.
The Leader learns, on unques-
tionable authority, that peaceable,
Industrious and law abiding ne
groes in the three counties named
are not only being notified to
leave farms owned by merchants,
but leave lands owned by themsel-
yes, and threatened with summa-
ry violence if they do not heed the
notice given. The following no
tice was tackled on a board in the
shape of a paddle and placed on
the gate of a worthy colored
woman one night last week in the
western part of Lincoln county:
NOTICE.
Riner Robinson we are the siti-
sens Of the state of Mississippi
that ask you to move off the mer-
chant land. Riner you must Be
gone By the first day of January
1903 all so we Request you keep
this Notice all so we hold you Re
sponsiable for ever thing on this
place Riner we just mean move
all so show this to Charly Ray
that he can not work that Land in
Franklin co. for it Belongs to
NJ. P
Though the whitecappers as
sumed otherwise, the place in
question is really owned by the
woman who was thus warned to
leave, and the notice and the board
paddle to which it was attached
we're brought to Brookhaven and
shown to the editor of The Lead
er and others by her son, who re-
ported that his mother and other
negroes of their community were
in a state of great terror over the
situation. In some cases, it is
stated, the negroes have been
warned and their homes shot into
at night; and many of them have
already left and others are prepar-
ing to leave.
Why white men of the most or
binary intelligence will deliber-
ately enter into a movement of
this kind, and with so little provo
cation, is amazing to contemplate.
In the first place, both merchants
and negroes have as good right
to own and to cultivate land in
this country, if it is honestly &C
quired, as any one else, and the
laws of Mississippi guarantee to
them the same protection of their
rights as it does to others. The
Leader right now wishes to utter
a solemn warning to every one
engaged in this unlawful and
high-handed business; that is, if ii
is not stopped, somebody besides
negroes will come to grief. A
few years ago, it ought to be re-
membered, a movement of this
kind started in Amite county
and spread over nearly all the
southern portion of Lincoln.
Like this one, its basic principle
was defiance of the written law OF
the State, and the plain rights OF
others. Later, when it had grown
in strength, and reached its logi-
cal sequence, it went so far as tC
attempt to intimidate a Judge on
the bench, brought the State mi
litia to Brookhaven, cost the tax
payers of the county thousands
of dollars and sent several of the
principal bull-dozers to the State
penitentiary.
History repeats itself; and
again we say to the leaders of this
movement, you had better take
warning and go slow. Amite
county. Franklin and Lincoln
all put together, are not greater
than the State of Mississippi
and such lawlessness will certain
ly be put down, if it requires al
the soldiers in the State to do it.
The following law should be
read and studied by the BULLDOG
ers who fancy that what they are
engaged in is light and trivia
matter:
| CHAPTER 70, ACTS 1898.
AN ACT to suppress whitecapping ant
like forms of intimidation.
Section /. Be it enacted by
the Legislature Of the State O.
Mississippi, That any person OF
persons who shall, by placards
or other writing, or verbally, at
tempt by threats, direct or i'm
piled, of injury to the person OF
property of another, to intimidat'
such other person into an aban
donment or change of home or EN-
ployment, shall, upon conviction
be fined not exceeding $4,000, o.
Imprisonment in the county iai
not exceeding six months, or il
the penitentiay not exceeding five
years, as the court, in its discre
tion, may determine.
Sec. 2. That this act shall take
effect and be in force from ant
after its passage.
a onrovnd Fahruarv II 1903