The Tupelo journal., 1903-07-17

S~- |
threatening aspect. The s~tatis-
tics show an enormous increase
of lynchiug over last year and
point conclusively to the fact that
a malevolent and defiant spirit
has been disseminated among the
blacks. The lynchings that have
occurred in the South this year
have not been attended by race
riots. Sucn, however, has not
been the case in Northern States.
AS suggested by a contemporary.
"There is a great difference be
tween uprisings as they occur III
the North aud South. In the South
ern States there is nothing that
can be characterized as a race war
in the outbreaks Of violence there
When al ~atrocious crime is com
mitted by a negro or negroes in ID
Southern community the people
turn out in a body to arrest the
guilty p,rties. aud tt is b-ing doue,
the miscreants are made the OBJ
iects Of instant and terrible popu
lar Justice, but there's no attempt
or desire to trouble negroes un
connected with the ~offense. 1t is
only against the guilty that pub
lie indignation is aroused.
"In Northern communities, on
the contrary, the preparation OF
an atrocious offense by a negro
scenes to arouse feelings of race
hostility. The two races lmme-
diately come in violent conflict,
and the result is that there is open
war between the two. This was the
case at Bellville, Ill at Peoria,
in the same State at Wilmington,
Del; at Evansville, Ind, aud
wherever there has been any trOu-
BILE of that sort in the Northern
States.'
The explanation OF this lies in
the difference Of the methods of
the Southern and Northern people
in dealing with the negro. In
Northern communities the color
line is not dawn until too late.
The negro is treated as a social
equal, aud he at once, rs a result,
acquires an exaggerated idea of the
Importance of his rights asa citi-
zen, and in many instances be-
comes insolent and ov%erbearing.
When one Of these deluded ne
groes commits the fearful and
naneless Offeuse the members Of
his ACT band together to protect
him from an enraged white mob
or to avenge his illegal execution.
The result is a ace riot. That no
such riots followed the negro
lynchings in the South is. due t,
the firm aud determined attitude
of the white people as regards the
negro. With their large negro
population, if the Southern States
should follow the example Of
Roosevelt and the negrophiles Of
the North as regards the negro,
a terrible and destructive race
war woulI be the speedy and in
evitable outcome.
Bnt the most important thing
in regard to this discussion is to
inquire into the cause of the re-
markable increase in the number
of lynchings.
1t can hardly be doubted that
the reopening of the negro ques-
ton is largely responsible. In
the North the discussion has had
the effect of infaming and exclt-
ing the negro; in the South it
has increased prejudice among
both races. The position that Mr..
| Roosevelt has taken in setting an
example of social equality and his
ostentatious professions as to po-
litical equality aroused the indig-
nation aud apprehensions of the
Southern people, who recognise
Rooseveltism as slgnifying the de-
graduation of the Anglo. Saxon
race. His conduct made al issue
of the negro question and the in
crease in race riots and bloody
murders and nameless crimes COM
mitted by negroes can be laid at
the door of Theodore Roosevelt.
In his overlapping ambition to
success himself he has sowed the