The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-03-01
4 Threat to Our Civilization.

"a Threat to Our Civilization.
Booker Washington publishes II ~ the sF'
birmingham, Aso.t1erald n letter, IL
which he calls attention to the TACT tllat
within tho last fortnight three members ''
Of Ills race have been burned burned at tn me
stake ono bf the victims being @oln asi1l'
Not ono Of the three, he points oit, w" 70 =
charged viii, any crime even r EN- 's'l
connected with abuse Of a white woman IL
IN every case murder was he sole ''! ac'
cusation. and all the bt,rt1lnksJ took place l''
n broad daylight, two Of them occur
ring on Sunday afternoon IN sight OF q
Christian church. \
,Thesc burnihgs,'. says he. ARE y, the
tlacpcst sense unjust to my race !; buc ~ ~
not this Injustice alone which stlrs my
henrt. These barbnrous scenes. ioi ls :
as they are BY tile publ OF ing
shocking details, are moro disgraceiul anu
derrrdihs to the people WHO ihflict the
nnnishmel,t than those who receive IT.. Il
"If the law Is disregarded whei, a rlesro
IA concerned, It will soon be disregardaH
whcn d. white man IS concerned a 4l ~.
Sides the rule Of the mob destroys mo le
friendly relations which should eSlst PC
tween the races and Injuries ana lnter..
TercS with the 1lHulidiS ~ osPoiis9 49, ~
communities concerned.
Some people will probably say that TINS
is the raving OF m insolent negro, anu
that he should be told to keep his mouth
shut. That is one way OF disposihg OF
the questions. But 1t is for white men 10
ask themselves whether or not the state
mcnts which this negro makes are true,
~ Iu91Ol13a
which no reaches are well founded O.
Truth IS truth. no matter whether ~ pe
uttered by white man or negro. anu
when we are confronted with truth, 1t
is foolish. and sometimes wicked, to shut
our eyes to IT, painful as that truth may
be.
Booker Washington is right. We OF the
South are becoming wofully indiffererr
10 these terrible cpcctacles; to these.
shows Of strong flavor We are beconl-
Ling accustomed to the savagery OF burn
| ing men. and even women, at the stake,
and 1t is high time for lis to have a recls-
| onng with ourselves
Before this article OF Booker Wash
ingtons appeared in print. Governor
vardaman OF mississippi, was called upon
| to take prompt steps to prevent q negro
man from being burned at the stake
In that State for killing wl1ito man,
as tho regro claims, IN self-defensc. The
Constitution ~ every ststc III the Union
guarantees to every man accused Of
crime a fair trial by jury of his peers;
therefore. when man Is lynched the
organic law of the land IS trampled
under foot but that Is not the sole
! question. nor the mar question involved.
1t is not alone what the white race is
doing to tho negro; it is what the white
race is doing to itself In resorting to
savagcry. We cannot commit these saw
age crimes without feeling the reflex
. action upon ourselves, and the more ne
become accustomed to savage eShibi.
lions. the more savage will We as a peo.
pie become Our very civilization Is III.
volved, and we MS a people cannot afford
to BIO indifferent.
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Many people In Virginia who do no
now understand tho Torrens bill for reg
sterng land titles, Will some day fin,
out who It Is that has sacrificed the In
tcresta OF the owners OF tho great major
lily Of tho land In Virginia. In order t
I please some lawyers who want fees AM
some claimants to land who doubt theI
title.
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