The leader., 1902-12-31
DIR. NEWMAN RECoNsIDERs
He writes Second Letter Saying the
Farmers League VIII be Expurg-
ated and Exonerate Itself.

i
ated and Exonerate Itself.
| Several days after he had writ
ten the letter which was published
in last weeks Leader, resigning
as President of the Farmers Lea
que, DIR. A. M. Newman wrote a
second letter, which was published
in the MeadviIle Advocate of last
Thursday. This letter follows:
Bonus, Miss, Dec. %, 1902.
Mr.. Editor:-Since my last
weeks communication regarding
the whitecappers in this county,
my mind has undergone a COM
plete change in regard to the ex-
istence of a secret organization.
Such an organization as the Farm
ers' League, represented by over
six hundred good men and some
of the very best the county affords,
after the expurgation and reorgani-
zation that will follow the receipt
of our charter. will present the
best police force for law and order
that could be procured, composed
as it is of men who are identified
with and interested in the welfare
of our county. They can be de-
pended upon to watch the lawless
elements of both classes.
The Farmers League was alb
solved from all previous obliga-
lions when the constitution was
adopted, and those men who were
appointed delegates to visit Mead
vile and instructed them to call
down our meeting, and to prevent
the organization of the league, or
failing in this, to not participate
in the meeting, would do we'll to
reconsider their actions and to COM
promise this matter now while it
may be done.
| do not intend for the Farm
ers' League to be branded as
whitecappers because of the action
of few turbulent men. There
was positively a unanimous action
taken against all night meetings,
and all such work has been done
without the will of the league. If
there should be a real need for
force to maintain law and order,
we will stand ready to help; if
there be any imaginary wrong we
will try to epxlain it away; if
there be a fragrant violation of the
law that cannot be suppressed by
the officers of the law, we will
lend our aid, and if there be a
man or set of men, who wish to
acquire property for half its value
through lawless action, then we
will bar the way.
So long as the Farmers Lea
que will stand by its purposes l
will stand between them and the
courts, and will pledge the courts
to stand by them. That the &C
ton of midnight raiders will de-
stroy land values, disturb and de-
moralize all business, no man
doubts, and the necessity of a
strong organization was never
more apparent. Let every man
of influence aid us in procuring
our charter. Then let us have
thorough organization and show
to the world that our county can
maintain law and order, and
through her own authorities pro-
tect the interests of all law -abid-
ing citizens.
| again ask for a full meeting
on the 3rd of January to vindi-
cate our order ssand brand the
man who charges such men as j..
NJ. Stroud, j. r. Mullins, w. j..
eatherly, R. E. Bennett, W. E..
Mullins, T. J. Landers, Geo.
Gates, Steve Kennedy, j. w. Nc
Daniel, w. r. Cupit, P. G. Smith
and over 500 others as whitecaps,
as miserable, infamous liar.
A. M. NEWMAN,
Pres. Elect.
Commenting editorially upon
the White Cap situation and DR..
Newman's letters, the Advocate
says.
The raid of the white cappers
some two weeks ago all through
this section of the county is still
the theme uppermost in the minds
of the people, and the situation is
practically unchanged. Pursu-
ant to orders received many fam
lilies of negroes are preparing to
leave the county, others are leav-
ing places that they have con-
tracted to buy to move on lands
owned byresident white farmers.
However, there is a rift in the
clouds. We publish in this issue
of the Advocate two letters from
DR.. A. M. Newman, president of
the Farmers League, which car
ries to the people the information
and assurance that that organiza-
ton is opposed and will stand OPP
posed, to white Gaping and law
lessness in general, and through
this, the public mind, which had
naturally charged the origin of
the trouble to that organization,
for various reasons, has been
somewhat relieved. Now then,
we have no AK to grind in this
matter; no selfish ends to &C
complish, and no desire, save
only to reach a complete and ear
ly adjustment of the trouble, to