Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-09-03
COLORED CITIZENS HELD MEETING
And Adopted Resolutions That are
Worthy of the Respect and Consider
alton ofAll Good People.


On the 18th of August num Der Of the
respectable and worthy colored citizens Of
Tazewell met in the colored Methodist
church, and after carefully considering the
matter for which the meeting was called
adopted certain resolutions, which we pub.
tish below by request
We wish to commend the admirable
spirit Of these resolutions. They are ad'
mirably framed and suggest nothing that
should not be heartily endorsed by all
good white people. While considering
these resolutions we have been impressed
by the fact that no colored man in Taze-
well county has ever committed or attemp-
ted to commit, 50 far as we can recall the
unmentionable crime upon white woman.
At a future time we shall again call atten-
ton to this fact
"At meeting of coored citizens of the
town of Tazewel, held in the Methodist
church, Aug. 14th the following was pre-.
pared, and unanim ouslY adopted: The
object of this meeting is to condemn the
henlous crimes which are being perpetra
ted every day by the low brutal, and VIC
ious element of the race. Such crimes az
come to public notice with each issue of
the press are so revolving as 10 call for our
most bitter condemnation.
We wish 1t understood that we are no
more in sympathy with the raplsts of our
race than the white people are, and wish
as ardently to see it suppressed. We
know that the best element Of our people
are thoroughly believers IN law and order
and hold indignation meetings often to so
express themselves; but there being go few
newspapers published by colored people
the white people fail to see what We are
doing and saying Hence we so often
hear it said that the masses Of the colored
people condcne instead of condem
these lawless and brutal deeds, which is
An intoierable injustice, that tends to
brand indiscriminately the entire race, as
brutes and rapists, a stigma too horrible
to contemplate.
We hope that the liberal-minded white
people of the country-the true friends of
the negro-wil come to our rescue, and
help us throw off this black pail of unjust
censure, and not eternally damn the in.
dustrious, lava -biding, property owning
tax. paying element OF our race because of
the loathsome crimes committed by the
lazy, thriftless and lawless element, which
has nothing in common with good govern
ment and true citizenship.
We deeply deplore mob law and believe
It to be in direct opposition to the spirit of
good government. But zee no hope as long
as the usual crime is committed. If there is
nothing done to check it we fear a state
of anarchy and harvest of crime will as
surely follow as the night follows the day,
permeating all classes of society, leaving
in its wake ruin and death.
But what is the remedy for the crime
that causes the awful state of affairs?
that cause whole nation, East, West
North and South, where ever the deed is
to lose its reason, go stark mad
defying judges and jury, taking the law in
it's own hands, burns the guilty brute at
the stake and actually fight for bits Of
charred flesh as souveniers of their horrible
work?
Still the flend continues to do his
hellish work, lynching and burning SEEM
ingly has no terrors for him, and the fact
that it does continue regardless of what
happens few hours later is positive evil
dence to our minds that in the majority
of cases he is too ignorant to read, there
fore doesn't know that just across the way
on yesterday perhaps a nego was burned
for the same crime he contemplates doing
today. We believe that the only and Ger.
tain remedy, one that should by enact
ment become law and be known from
one end Of the continent to the other as
the brand of a rapist, is catratiOn, tog ether
with shaving off not one but both ears
from he head. He would certainly then be
living object lesson despsed by all, and
would do more to deter crime than all the
lypchiDgs that have occurred since the
first rape was committed. We too believe
that God in his wisdom made man the
natural protector OF womanhood, and it
is as much the duty of the negro to guard
and protect her as it is the man of any
other race or color.
Now what hurts the negro race most of
all, and tends more to dwarf and impeed
its progress, is that it should be held re-
sponsible before the world for the mad acts
of it's lawless class, an injustice done to
no other race or people,
AS idleness breeds crime we heartily
endorse the plan adopted in certain sec.
tions by our people for driving from their
midst all lazy and indolent negroes who