The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-09-02
NEGROES MEET
And Discuss Lynch Law and the
Cause Of It.
ONLY ONE DIsCARDANT SPEECH.


White People to Help
Them 70 Upl:fe
The Race.
There met in Columbia on Tuesday
of last week nearly hundred negro
men whose purpose is to put them
selves on record as denOuncing the
crime which provukes lynchingS and
to formulate an appeal tV the white
people to put down mob law. These
men can hardly be called representa-
tiyeS of their race. for they are Of an
order of intelligence which is a5ure
the average Of the colored people. But
they are the eXpenentS of that race
and the advocates for their people.
The following account of the proceed
ings we clip from The State:
SHOULD BE NO RACE HATRED.
In opening the conventions pro-
ceedings, Rev NJ. G. johnson said that
these foul crimes Of which negroes
| have been accused are painful TO the
hearts Of all true cDlored citizens who
want it understood that they emphat-
ically denouncc that particular class Of
crime and most bitterly condemn the
perpetrators. The object Of this meet
| ing is to take steps for the higher
moral elevation OF that class which
would commit such crimes and to ap-
peal fer the suppression of mob rlo-
lence, not only because the Innocent
sometimes suffer its punishment, but
because the habit of lynch law will yet
find for its victims persons guilty OF
crimes less revolving.
1t appears that now there is an en-
nifty between the races which God
Almighty never intended. AS long as
such sentiments are fostered, the acts
of a tough element of negroes will DC
regarded as characteristic OF that en-
tire race, and the lawleSsness Of bad
element of white people will be looked
upon as the expression OF the entire
white people.
With the help Of God we will cor
rect the evil in our own race" he said,
and We appeal to the white people to
remove those grievances OF which we
now complain" The true negro citi-
zen, he said. longs to see that day
when we will have the protection OF
law in the pursuit OF happiness and
when the white people can go away
from their homes and leave their fam
lies secure in the knowledge that they
will rot be harmed or moleSted.
The speaker complained rather bit
terlv because some OF the leaders Of
his racgand some Of the race papers
mad criticized the spirit OF this con-
rention even before the convention
had met, and he called upon those
who were opposed to the movement TO
come anyway and witness what was
done. Otherwise by their negative in
huence they would be responsible to
God if in any way they contributed to
the failure Of this movement which
has good for its object.
The meeting was then declared open
for business.
IN 1~>E @o4N1 ~ %SA1S'A'
'Is lynching ever justifable, or does
it lessen the crime for which it is
DONE" That was the subject pf an ad-
dress by Rev. NJ W. Gilbert, a teach
er in Benedict college. He made the
broad statement that lawlessness is
not cure for iawlessness. Lynching
is direct reversion to barbarism. to
the time when private vengeance was
resorted to as the way in which to set
tie disputes. 1t is the execution OF
vengeance and is not justice. 1t is the
expression Of race prejudice, and race
prejudice is the mother of injustice.
1t is a remedy to cure negroes Of crime
while white people 80 free.
He declared lynching to be tine olt-
come of race prejudice, but his re-
marks at this point were not calcu-
lated to make the convention think
any the more kindly Of the white peo-
pie. Lynching, he declared, is unjus-
ti6able because it is not confined to
punishment for a certain crime. He
declared that negroes should help the
legally appointed offices in finding
criminals. Every criminal, white or
black, is the enemy Of society, and
should be turned over to the law. II
lynching should stop, negroes would
join hands with the white people in
running criminals down.
Lynching is unjusti6able because it
is a confession that the law is impo-
tent in taking care Of society. 1t is
said that the women upon whom the
crime is wrought ought not to be
brought into the court room. That is
no excuse for lynching. The white
people have courts, they have the leg
islatiye halls. Let them pass a law
excluding from the court room all but
the jurors and the judge. Lynching
is unjustitiable because it is inadequate
as punishment The negro who is
lynched does not suffer sufficiently, as
he would do in Jail, at the trial and
on the gallows. The trial would give
greater publicity aud would be more
of All example to others.
In connection with this point he
made the significant statement that
intelligent negroes have never yet dis
graced their race with this terrible
crime, and he appealed for more
schools and a longer school term.
Lynchng is unjusthable because
being criminal in its nature it begetS
crime. for one crime begets another
frequently. He concluded by saying
that lynehing is crime, lynchlng IS
murder, lynching is anarchy and an
archy is he'll.
COMMON SENSE SPEECH.
The speach which had more com
mon sense in it, and yet was delivered
in scholarly style, was from the Rev
G.. r. billiard, a Presbyterian mission
ary. While he spoke Loyalty anc