The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-09-02
ISSUES AN ADDRESS.
What the Negroes Have to Say to the
White People.
WANT LYNCHING STOPPED.
But Has Very Little to Say About
the Crime that Causes
1t and Condemns it
Afi1lII-

the Crime that Causes
1t and Condemns it
Mildly.
The following is the address iSSuet
by the negro convention to the white
people Of the State Perhaps the ad
dress may be disappointing to those
white people who might have expect
ed something different from what was
adop.ed-sometbing which WoulC
acknowledge the crime which has
caused SO many lynchings, and which
would appeal to the white people tt
stop lynchings upon the promise o1
the negroes that 5hey would endeavol
10 restrain the british element o!
their race from crimes of passion.
We, the colored citizens Of South
Carolina in convention assembled
desire to direct the attention Of the
law-abiding white citizens OF the State
to the alarming amount Of lawless-
ness thas is being practiced in the
State which is. disturbing the peace
and good order of society, generally.
creating much bad feeling and anita
goniSm between the races and en-.
dangcring the lives Of many citizens
by mob violence. 1t is well known
that in the majority Of instances where
for any cause difficulty occurs be-
tweel a white and colored man, the
latter as nothing like an equal show.
ing before courts if at all permitted
to come to trial 1t cannot be denied
that if a colored man is accused OF
any serious crime in which the in
terests Of a white man is involved,
especially if the crime results in per
sonal injury to the latter, lynching
is likely 10 take place.
Whenever there has been a sem
blance Of race riot in South Carolina
the principal cause was the attempt
of white men to punish crimes charg-
ed against negroes, instead Of invok'
ing the Jaw Numerous instances
could be cited in proof of this fact and
we venture to challenge the impair
tial public to cite single Instance tc
diSproye this.
The negro in South Carolina has nc
voice or participation in the enact
ment or the enforcement Of the law.
We therefore, appeal to the white
people for the proper enforcement OF
the law which they themselves have
made, for we have relied upon the
promises Ct protection and equality
before the law made by the late Gov.
Wade Hsmpton and successors and
endorsed by the law-abiding citizens.
We wish to record our unqualified
condemnation OF all criminal acts by
negroes. We do not deny that the
negro race furnishes an alarmingly
large per cent. Of the criminal class
of South Carolina, and we do not con-
done their crimes. We denounce the
crime or rape as inhunan and brutal
and those who commit it should be in'
flicted with the Serverest punishment
provided by law, but hold that the
Nervousness Of the crime should
strengthen the demand Of jury trial.
We feel assured that the better class
OF white citizens do not believe that
the better class of colored citizens
would harbor or conceal any member
of the race who is accused Of crime
from the properly constituted au'
thorities. We denounce lynching as
unlawful, and therefore unjustifable
under any circumstances and we re-
gret that not even a liberal reward by
the governor will secure the identitica-
tion and arrest of white lynchers in
South Carolina. We do not recall a
single instance where white lynchers
have been convicted in this State, but
ii is on record that for the one and
only instance where Tin the county OF
Pickens) negroes lynched white
rapist, the lynchers were tried and
convicted. We deplore the unreliable
methods used by the State press and
by the management Of the Associated
Press dispatch officers in the State tc
secure correct reports Of crimes alleg,
ed to have been committed by negroes.
Too often sensational reports that ex'
cited little OF no interest in the local.,
ties where the alleged offenseS occurr-
ed are sent out by the press. And
lynching parties have probably been
organized under excitement resulting
from such reports.
Wedeplore the cruel and inhumar
attacks upon the negro race that are
being made by the senior United
States senator from South Carolina
and prayerfully hope that the gooo
white people Of the State do not en-
dorse bis views. We are surprised
that those high in authority, State OF
federal, would make ut1erances cap
able of the inference that the better
class OF negroes should be held any
more responsible for the morals, power
Uy or crimes Of their race than the
better class of other races composing
the republic should be for theirs. The
negro proves no less responsive to the
ciyilizing influences in American life
than any other race. Further we de-
clare that the gross crimes charged
against the race are not committed by
the educated and self-respecting class
To our mind this is a forcible argu
ment favorable to the extension Of
the school terms and the improve
ment Of our educational facilities.
We entertain the hope that the sen
timent expressed by the ex-governor
in the following. ''I5 is not necessary
to worry about the negro he is gettlne
all the education which rs provided
now and could get no more under com
pulsory attendance" does not prevail
Why is not compulsory education a
n11oraI 1hi1Sron