The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-04-16
Feed All Out of the Same Spoon.
Washington Gazette Messenger.

Washington Gaz"tte-MeFsrnger.
We believe if we We're IN Governor
Aycock' place We would at once can
eel the order calling il special term OF
the court to try he negro BrOadnaX,
the Reidsville murderer. in order to
meet the public demand for Il speedy
trial and to give him IN early pass
age to eternity by way OF the gal
lows. Since Bishop, the Charlotte
murderer, was only sentenced to the
pcnitentiAry for five years, the trial
OF Ernest Haywood, the Raleigh law
yer and murderer OF Ludlow Skinner,
has been postponed until July and
Dr. Baker. he murderer OF DR.. Bass,
is not to face his accusers fOrmOnthS
to come, we can see no reason why
the negro should not beeXtenued like
consideration. Both Dr. Baker and
Haywood are men OF acknowledged
penalty the law fixes for the shooting
down OF one of its citizens, and they
cannot plead ignorance, which the
siXtr"m-ycHr-old negro might justly
claim in rXtrmuatiOn of his crime.
The REASONS that Judge Justice
gave for granting Il continuance Ill
the case OF Haywood, the defense had
not sufficient time to secure the pres
encc OF important witnesses, may be
applied with more force to the negro,
who has, as far as we have heard, no
counsel to defend him, no one tOloOk
after his witnesses, and il he has any
counsel at all, one will have to be
assigned to defend him after the SEES
sion OF the court is called.
In other words, in the name of high
heaven, Justice and truth, let's feed
all viOlatOrs of the law, whether white
or black, rich or poor, learned or ig-
nOrant, out of the same spoon, at
least as far as outside appearances
are concerned. The governor of
North Carolina cannot afford to call
II special term OF the court in order
to appease the public clamoring for
a speedy trial and an early hanging
of Il siXteen-year-old negro boy, while
some of the leading men of the state
are being charged with the commits
sion OF the same crime, committed
under us unprovoked surroundings
Us the one OF which the negro is to
stand an early trial.
II Haywood is to be given time to
ransack the heavens above and earth
beneath iii search of witnesses in his
defense and to compel their attend
ance ut court and to secure the bene-
fits OF time 5 cooling effect on the pas
slOnS of those who are demandinghi his
conviction Justice demands the negro
should be accorded the same rights
III every particular. Let simple JUS
tice continue to be the chief glory of
North Carolina. We are no prophet.
or the son of one. but we confidently
predict should this negro be forced
to meet his accusers without pre-
vlousl Y securing counsel or witnesses
and be hanged. us he surely will.
while the trials OF men of high social
position, leaders i'll their respective
communities, charged with the same
offence, accompanied with all the
brutality that surrounds the case of
the negro, the seeds of lynching will
be sOWn. the harvest of which it will
take Il wise man to say when it will
begarnered. Governor AycOck. under
the circumstances now prevailing in
the state, is setting dangerous pre-
cedent i'll calling this special term of
court to try this negro and, though
We are i'll favor of netting out swift
and sure punishment to the pistol
tOter and murderer, we are opposed
to sending Il negro swiftly to his
doom while white men are securing
their trials postponed in the hope
public sentiment might change and
they finally escape with less punish
ment than would be melted out to a
negro for robbing Il hen coop Let's
feed all law-breakers out of the same
spoon. Let it never be said, and
truthfully. Il negro cannot get JUS
tlce i'll the courts of North Carolina.
Ii special term of the court is to be
called to try the negro, let the gov
ernOr call one also to try HAYWOOD.
This is justice, and anything short of
1t is a mockery.