Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-04-14

Although shrinking from the loathsome
.,,hsa~t I viii express my unmitigateo
horror and disgust that a noble young
ladv Cwhose kindred are as near 10 my
heart as II we were relatives IN tscO
should have been Wiley assaulted In her
60 citv and near TO her own friends in
broad DAYLIGHT and choSed by beast IN
"a frsensibility. such as did occur just a
fevs DAYS ago In the city OF Rome. THESE
outraRes should be stopped. They are De-
coming aIarxningiy frequent. Desperate
diseases require desperate remedies Inc
black rapist was promptly dealt Win,
and received what he richly deserved, ana
was let OF lightly at that. but ne mas
his imitators here still.
The question recurs. How are the two
races 70 live together in the same COM
munity under existing conditions.
on the first day OF last November
black beast was hung under forms OF law
at Gainesville for the same crime. An
other al Marietta was tried. sentenced
and executed in a similar quick way. some
months before Ihousanos Wl1hesSeu
these executions
This late offender was not IN the least
deferred OF iutimidated by any example
or instance that had previously demon
strated the swift vengeance OF an out
ragged public II Is plainly evident that
these ravishers are Indifferent 70 their
raul.s. They are demoniacs. Something
else must be done 10 check this epidemic
OF lust. this brutal intent, or white peo-
pie must get away.
Our legislators are elected TO act as
guardians for the interests OF the state
The question OF protection Is now up 70
them. Courts, juries. lynchers. nothing IN
sight appears to help this situation, ana
vet with hated breath the whole popula-
ton stands aghast at these continual out
RACES. and the insecurity OF the white
women OF this country.
The towns are filled with a lOafing class
Of unemployed men. They have forsaken
the farms and are proving about after
no good.
There should be a vagrant law. and II
should be rigidly enforced II these va
grants and desperadoes cannot work and
behave themselves there should be law
enough 10 get rid OF them. IL has reached
= nfsce when they should either disap-
near or the white women should have a
fort 10 live in. as happened In Indian wars
and amid savage atrocities for safety
stand IN my place 20 say, that no Cd
fzation rests with as much weight upon
our legislators as this protection to white
women in Georgia at the present time
Thirty years OF so-called free education
has not educated the majority OF these
young negroes into anything but unadul-
.terated meanness. impudence, dishonesty
and vice. They are already a public
nuisance. They are as dangerous on the
public highway as mad dogs and rattle
snakes.
! believe also that the employment OF a
certain political circular in a~heated cam
raizn. some years ago. Is largely response
bic for the present lawlessness and vio-
lence. II sowed the wind. The state Is
reaninE the whirlwind. We have had ten
lynchings and hangings for this crime
since its issuance where we had one be-
fore. Labor has never been so democrat
ICED as now. There is rabid under-cur-
rent OF intense antagonism preVailins
with both races.
WIN the next legislature address itself
10 the protection OF the white women or
girls OF this country Let us hope so,
but IN the meantime. learn to shoot, ye
women. old and young.