The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-02-11
\ Life for q Life.

In his letter printed several days
ago on the subject of the crime Of
murder in South Carolina, Mr.. W. D.
Woods states certain facts which can-
not be disputed, ard which it is as
well to group together for the con-
sidera ton of tAe people whom they So
deeply concern. The News and Courier
has grouped some Of these facts in
a concise manner in the articles which
follows below, and we hope every read
er OF this paper will ponder them.
The number of murders that have
been committed in the State in the
past twenty-five years, he remarks, is
simply appalling" and no one, Ger.
tainly, will deny that it is so. The
ghastly list of victims of the crime
would make a book Of considerable
size. AS very large proportion" Of
the murderers. it is added, have
escaped punishment and today are at
large when they ought-had justice
been reted out to them-to have
ended their own lives on the gallows,
or be life conyicts in the Peniten-
tiary." This is also true. The
proportion of those who have been
punished is very small and includes
very few white murderers:
IF a poor and friendless negro COM
mits murder be is punished. and just
ly, but the influential white man who
commits a similar offence has only to
go through the form Of trial" This
cannot be gainsaid The fact to sup
port it are within the knowledge of
every man in the State. The condi-
tion is the subject Of common remark.
Many negroes have been punished for
the crime. Who can name three
white men who have been punished
for it in the past twenty-five years,
except in so far as the expenses of
their acquittal are to be reckoned as
a punishment?
In South Carolina a mans proper
ty is just as. safe as it is in any other
State or country, but his life is prac-
tically at the mercy OF any armed
rutian who chooses to take it in re-
venge for some imaginary afront.
Things have reached such pass in
this State that man can. provided
he has influence and friends, with
much greater impunity from punish
ment take the life of his neighbor
than to be guilty Of some suall miSde-
meanor like the violation of the dis
pensary law"
Is not this true? It is freely as
serted in private conversation, and
passes unchallenged for truth there.
1t is as true in cold print. They only
qualification that is required, we be-
lieve. is in respect to the term armed
rutlian. Armed gentleman will do
as well. Our murderers are seldom
ranked as rutfians. Possibly they
would not escape punishment so readi-
ly if they were.
But some one may say that, grant
all this to be true, why should We ad-
vertise it to the world? Unfortu-
nately it needs no advertisement, for
it has already advertised itself very
much to the detriment Of the good
name of the State" This point is also
we'll taken. The facts are as well
known abroad as at home. We have
nothing to gain by ignoring them.
Possibly we may gain something by
stating them plainly and facing them
squarely. Aud this brings US to the
helpful suggestions in Mr.. Woods
letter. The law should not only be
just enough to protect the humblest
citizen, but also strong enough to
punish the most prominent individual
who violates itS mandates