The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-02-13
"A Life for n Life.

In his letter printed several days
ago on the subject of the crime Of
murder in South Carolina, Mr.. w. D..
Woods states certain facts which can
not be disputed, and which it is as
well to group together for the con
sidcrn tion of the people whom they so
deeply concern. The News and Courier
has grouped some of these facts In
q concise manner in the articles which
follows below, and we hope every read
cr OF this paper will ponder them.
The number Of murders that have
been committed in the State in the
past twenty five years, he remarks, is
simply appalling" and no one, Ger.
tainly, will deny that it is so. The
gllastly list Of victims OF the crime
would make Il book OF conSidcra bic
size. AS very large proportion" OF
the murdcrcrS, it is added, ''hayc
escaped punishment and today are at
large when they ought-had Justice
been mctcd out to them-to have
ended their own lives on the gallows,
or be life convctS in the pcnitcn-
tiary.H This is also true. The
proportion Of those who have been
pu,:shcd is very small and includes
very few white murdcrcrs:
III poor and fricndlcss negro com
mts murder he is punished, and just
~, but the influential white man who
commits similar offence has only to
so through the form Of trial" This
cannot be gainsaid. The fact to sup
mort if, wi 1,it, .>e
every man in the State. The conCli-
tion is the subject or common remark.
Many negroes have been punished for
the crime. Who can name three
white men who have been punished
for it in the past twenty-five years,
except III SO far rs the expenses of
their acquittal are to be rcckoned as
Il punishment?
In South Carolina Il mans proper
ty is just as safe as it is in any other
State or country, but his life is prac-
tlcally at the mercy Of any armed
rutlian WHO chooses to take 1t in re-
venge for some imaginary aiIront.
Things have reached such pass in
this State that a man can, provided
he has influence and friends, with
much greater impnnity from punish
mcnt take the life OF his ncighbor
than to be guilty OF some small misdc-
mcanor like the violation OF the dis
pcnsary law"
Is not this true? 1t is freely as
serted in private convcrsa Lion, and
passes unchallengcd for truth there.
1t is as true in cold print. They only
qualification that is required, we be-
lcvc, is in respect to the term armed
rulian." Armed gentleman will do
us well. Our murdcrcrs arc seldom
ranked as rulians. Possibly they
would not escape punishment SO readi-
ly IL they were.
But some one may say that, grant
all this to be true, why should we ad-
rertisc it to the world? Unfortu-
natcly it needs no advertisement, for
it has already advertised itself very
much to tile dctrimcDt of the good
name OF the State" This point is also
well taken. The facts are as we'll
known abroad as at home. We have
nothing to gain by ignoring them.
Possibly we may gain something by
stating them plainly and facing them
squarely. And this brings us to the
helpful suggestions in Mr.. Woods
letter The law should not only be
just enough to protect the humblcSt
citizen, but also strong enough to
punish the most promicnt individual
who violates its mandates.