New-York tribune., 1904-09-18
THE SPORT OF LYNCHING.
Inherent Human Brutality at Bot
tOm-S0utherR Dominance Feared


the deliberate and determined act OF the respons-
BILE OF the region. who had stood at attention
and watched the proceedings Of the court to a con
clusiOn who then acted with the full knowledge
and consent expressed implied assumed OF
the authorities both legal and military: or at all
events. Of such of them had the time any
power OF control The actors knew that the legal
penalty for their crime. which the court had al
ready pronounced. could not fail Of execution upon
the criminals. They merely preferred another form
Of punishment for them. that frightfully savage
form which they administered. and the siSrihcation
OF the has a direct bearing upon the cond-
tiOns that must follow the result OF the pending
national election.
year aso a Northern man. who was an
unwilling spectator Of a Southern Iynchns Of this
sort expressed the opinion that the melting cause
IN such cases Is not horror OF the crime commit
ted a fear that justice will fail or be too slow
but a love OF sport. of pleasing excitement. the
blood relish that grows by what it feeds on. that
makes the jungle tiger that once has tasted hu-
blood thencefoTth a man eater. We have In
this latest Georgia case conclusive demonstration
OF the business OF that judgment The inherent
brutality that lies far below the surface IN al
Of us that joys in builhghts and cockhshts ana
prizehghts, that makes strikes and lockouts heces
cary for the settlement differences between men
and between nations fields OF glory that
now Is showing itself IN more glitterIng' azure IN
the growing indifference TO the safety OF othefs %
our "autorocrats" Is responsible for the burning
the favorite Southern OF sport is quite in har
nouy with the social and moral status of the re-
gon. and while intensely enjoyable oy ITS
people. IS less costly immediately than the forms
affected by the human wolves OF our Northern anu
other regions of the earth.
II this too hard saying 10 any one ne
should note that over in Arkansas recent hunt
through the brakes that lasted number o. days
resulted in the haggug OF some twelve or twenty
head OF black game that South Carolina has
l1r,3v fo,-h har nit aH
sippi Vardaman for her Governor; that favoTtte
speech form in the SOUTH pledge yo nah wuhd
of honah gentleman, sah''-whtch was com
mon in the mouth OF the Ben Jonson Knight
marks the people down there still in the Eliza
bethan stage OF culture, and that a celebrated
Kentucky novelist lives In tremor Of fear lest
some should think Niger is his social
equal When these latter. and such as they. VINO
are OF the most enlightened men Of the South, go
groping about I'm mediseval darkness, and those
who do the Iynching invariably the best cit-
zens" would rather know their lower grades az
distance II there lower grades. for there
can be no form OF devilshness that man can con-
ceive which they not capable Of at least trying
execute.
We would not brag. however. for are not sure
that We OF the North very much better than
our Southern brothers: though We do know enough
feel a sensation compounded OF pity and con-
tempt for one who lives IN fear OF their social
equality" spectre. But for the rest: Here. II
Indiana, not very long ago might have done a
thing give point 70 Georgia II our Governor
had not been up 20 the law and the age: while soma
events OF our past do care 70 discuss. even
OF very recent past. And out In kansas,
which we trust John Browns soul has well out
marched. they are just moving the heavens
and the earth and the legislature 10 keep their
white school children from concentrating contact
with their black school children while In the East
they VIII have your colored people battle in the
same old with the elegant breed OF the palhd
skin, live In fats the same street with them
And In al this shows the lurking evil-not very
lurking any more-that no one can doubt will come
70 fruitase in due season ~ the cause continue.
The growing indifference OF our people 20 the fast
spreading spirit OF anmosity for negro Citi-
fail 10 see And 1t points 70
trouble ahead for IL means the domination Of our
Southern ougarch in national affairs once more.
Ike that control over them which he exercised
for decades before the Civn War. For years past
tho tendency toward the rclnstallatiou OF that
mastership. which was directly responsible for that
war has been urceasiug I'm its progress. until now
IL needs than the election OF "A plastic
Parker To the Presidency 10 make 70 complete.
What that will for American citizenship no
doubt who Will take note Of the misin-
terpretations OF the fundamental principles % that
citizenship that even now widely popular. and
whore they have control. fully operative in. for
instance. the lawless restriction OF the right OF
suffrage This Is ostensibly aimed the black
man only. to be but il practically applies TO
the mass Of the Southern whites as well Fut that
Voiceless and degraded mass is a party to the
crime. and Il is enough here 10 consider the negro
Our oligarch's conviction il that the negro knows
too much now. and that in his growing knowledge
lies the danger 70 the form Of supremacy over
him tlat ne formerly held ny legal-man maze
legai-right and still demands He is right to
that. too Witness our Kentucky novelist again
who tells that the negro Of to-day is the worst
they ever had down there. That is just as from
the negro's knowledge grows so does he more
clearly the injustice to which he Is subject and
more disposed to II. to put OF his
'bated breath and whispering humbleness'' bear
ing. That a little knowledge is dangerous is one
know but would seem NOT To nave applied 70 a
solution OF the negro question. Now, II is GER
be deprived OF the small measure Of knowledge
that he call his own but is entirely
reason little. should therefore. see that the
only way which holds promise OF good result OF
his negro's stock OF knowledge. instead OF con
tinulnE him IN ne condition or ignorance and
Eerous failure, which both reason and experience
human and generous standard-and let our HoTsl,st
rave as he VIII,
For the negro IN mass Is rot now worse than he
was forty years ago, save when mea surei bv the
Southern oligarchs standard. That standard would
with smallest percentage of negro blood in his
veins to know how TO read or write formerly il
did. 1t would make marriag" and family ties be
tween negroes OF no more consequence than sexual
formerly il did IL would Continue the power of fs fs
and death Of the white over the black as
would In short continue Tor our negro ct,Zan bo
in our America the loa thsome aud atrocIot,s
Of men or animals under Gods stv And thai state
our American black man will not have any more
lerP in cur America even though to prevent n the
selves thai makes for riRhteousness" vrbfb o u
behind existence. shall find uecdrul to drive us
down TO the goal Of the old Babylon road.
And here ngan some curiously disQmetuE aues-
lions of responsibility in The black man has
been as putty IN the white mans hand here in
man has made him. But what white man. WbV
the Southern white man chiefly. Of course; but not
better than the other what action should he taken