The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-09-04
q, .lei.. a I t5OlOD TALK /
On the Race Question from William
Jennings Bryan. gs .5s.Egl
SAYS TT rs NATIONAL; IN SCOPE

!'1l slnllnes i. inc i'resititnt Tor Ipjactiag
Social iisqnality in Politics, 4.-5
and Raising in The Negro
False Hopes.
The following article from the pen
OF Hon. j. w. Bryan we take from q
recent number ofrrhe Commoner.
On another page will be found a
letter recently written by President
Roosevelt to Governor Durbin on the
subject of lynching. Forgetting for
the present the failure. of the prcsi.
dent. to enforce the law against the
trust magnates and Governor Durbln's
refusal to deliver to Kentucky authori.
tics u Republican ex.governur charpe ed
with murder, let us consider the sub
ject Of mob law as it is related to the
race question. The p. esident IS right
IN protesting against mob law---it GIN:
not be def tndgd. tis a reflection on
the people II legal means Of punishment
are adequate and effective, and it is a
reelection OH the government il the
people have reason to distrust its
ability, to enforce thc law. All will
agree with the president that punish
mcnt should not only be sure, but
should be as swift as u due regard to
the rights Of the accused will permit.
Whatever punishmentS are sanctioned
by public opinion should be embodied
In the law and In the case OF crimes
against women the laws should bc
SuchEeyen though a constitutional
amendment were necessary to secure
it-that the victim of the. outrage
Will be protected from the humiliation
OF having to. give testimony before a
crowd OF curious, but disintercsted, ,
persons. 81 -.
The president is also to be com
mendad for having coupled a denuncia-
tion Of rape with a condemnation Of
lynching. Too many cry out against
the lawfeSs punishment without say
ing anything. against the horrible
crime which arouses the anger of the
people. II some Of the enthusiasm
that is spent In passing resolution
denouncing mob law was employed In
condemning the unspeakable beastial-
ity that provokes summary punish
ment there would be fewer instances
Of mob law The fact that the presi-
dent did not specifically mention
southern lynchinKs shows that the
lynchings and eburnlngs in northern
States have convinced .him that race
prejudice Is las strong in illinois, In.
diana, Delaware, and kansas ias In,
N Mississippi, s, Georgia, Alabama, or
Texas. i rs s .34
faes pfs} fosa ssnasa 5Sas as
In connection With mob law II That
there's such a thing must be admitted;
II Is written on every page OF history
and is.not likely to disappear soon. It
must be remembered, too, bilat the
negro has as much prejudice against
the white man as the white man has
against the negro, and if the negro
was In position to rule the white
man there is no reason to doubt that
the white man would have reason to
complain. This was apparent in the
carpet-bag days and is apparent TO-
day wherever it can find expression.
A sense of justice, however, restrains
tnls prejudice and it is not often that
either the white man or the negro
says anything In the presence OF the
other that Is calculated to offend.
Color is not matter Of choice, neither
can it be changed by will or by law,
lt Is, therefore, as unkind to taunt a
man with being black as it is un-
reasonable for black man to be an
gcrcd by such taunt.
a man is to be PRAISED or blamed
according to the use he makes Of his
talents or opportunities, not by his in
herited advantages. The fact that a
Negro Is lynched by mob because Of
an outrage upon a woman ought not
TO increase the race prejudice that
exists. White men are lynched for
The same crime. Neither must the
white mans feelings towards the ne
gro be judged by his conduct when
under great excitement. Man mad is
an entirely different creature from
man deliberate. Men in anger have
Killed fathers, wives, brothers, sons
and friends they have broken every
tie of love and kinship.
/ Suffrage qualifications cannot be at
tributed entirely to race prejudice for
suffrage qualifications are to be found
in nearly all countries and have been
employed in many of our own states.
Ihey have been employed by white
men against mambers Of the white race
and by people of every color against
people OF their own color. Woman
suffragist complain that women are
dlsfranchised and such disfranchise-
ment cannot be explained on the
ground of race prejudice either, for
husband and wife, mother and son,
are not only of the same race, but are
linked together by the strongest bonds
known. The suffrage amendments In
the south, so much complained Of by
Republican politicians, are not nearly
to severe Az the Republican colonial
policy III the Philippines.
FirSt-In every southern state some
OF the negroes can vote now, and all
others can qualify themselves for
suffrage; in the Philippines the in
habitants are pcrmantly disqualified.
Second-The negroes in the south,
even when they cannot vote, have the
protection Of federal and state con-
stitutior1s; the Filipino has nc con
Stitutional protection whatever.
~~No~~-~~N~--4~N-.~~.~~~
noupclng all criminal acts on the part
OF our race. 4
h We further pledge ourselves TO unite
with our white fellow citizens In all
lawful methods for the apprehension
ana arrest Of all persons who NAV be