The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-11
Eetter$ tc tbe Gdftcr
UPHOLD THE LAW
Or Untold Calamity May Be the Con-
 sequence.

sequence.
 Editor The Advertiser:
 I indorse very cordially the editorial in your issue of Friday morning on the subject of lawlessness at Hunts vile. and pursuing the same line of thought. with a slight Aggression. I wish to add what follows. It may be taken for granted, and I really think 1t is so. that a majority of the people or our section, and a very large major lawless acts, and yet the few who are willing to be guilty of such crimes con- tinue their fragrant outrages upon law and common decency, without let or hindrance upon the part of the upright and law abiding citizens of the country ] am not usually pessimistic upon any subject but if present conditions con- tinue to exist, I foresee great evils, as sections of the country. Every single step of the kind indicated, and they are continually occurring tends to, in crease the probability of the success of ] istracy. of the United States. He was probably born color blind. Whether he was so born or not, he Is evidently so now-that is, he fully believes a negro idenced by every act of his. No man ought to advocate, or do anything con hicting with the best interests of the negro race. He ought to have all
 
 ing to promote his interests, without endeavoring to foster in him the belief that he Is socially the equal of the white man, for such cannot be insisted upon by any man reasonably well ac- quainted with his habits and disposi- tion. The negro should have the ad- vantage of every possible means of en- lightenment, keeping the line of de- markation between him and the white man well defined. this to the end that he may be less likely to commit crimes than one in an ignorant condition.
 It has been said. whether truly or not l cannot say. that the one infa- nous crime of which the negro Is some times guilty. cannot be often laid to the charge Of negro preacher, a negro teacher, negro doctor, merchant, law yer. or other educated man of the race. If this be so. 1t gives more and more force to the enunciation of that pow erful truth by Bishop Galloway, that Ignorance is a cure for nothing" If negro commits that crime. or any other, just like white man, If justice be done, he should be punished at all hazards. and every risk. Scores hun dreds, and thousands of men through out the South are continually prating | to this effect, that whenever that n- famous crime Is committed there will be lynching. This Is wrong, it is vio- lently wrong. Not that the vile wretch guilty of such crime ought not to be hastily punished. because he ought, but that the tendency frequently, as has been we'll established. increases that crime and Is the parent to many others not perhaps so vile in their na- ture: but if conditions remain as they are. crime will increase, lynching be- come more common. the law more ire quently trampled under foot. and even if left to ourselves our conditions made immensely worse.
 But suppose the color blind man, now occupying the Presidents chair, should be elected in November with a Con | "A ct hi hon aYa1 hA i. ambitious as some people seem to think he Is, what more natural than he should procure an act of Congress, gar risoning this whole country with sol diery. as was done during the days of reconstruction, or even. at the least. an act requiring all persons charged with offences against the negro race, to be tired in the Federal Courts, thus de- ereignty. What would become our condition in this country? Bloodshed the staying of negroes by white people, and the staying of white people by the akin to a race war; but, however it might be, it will be the worst condition that could possibly befall the country. to garrison the country as hinted. It of annihilation of our republican form of government and the permanent es- tablishment of militarism, and the white man now President, would soon De the man OH noTS6DdCh. near some fellow who is ready to say, Oh they cannot do that, they cannot do that" That Is the very thing that was said in the days of secession, that the Northerners could not overrun and con- quer the South, but when all had been done that courage and mortal man could do. the thing was accomplished. the negroes set free, and the prosperity of the South, for time, utterly pros | trated Now, the people of the South are on the up grade. with prospects as | brilliant as ever invited a chiValrous people on to wealth and glory, but as | 1T determined that we shall never hTve the peace, quiet and prosperity to which we think we are entitled, the 1 lawless element consisting of but a very small minority of the Southern people, are continually defying the law and trampling 1t underfoot.
 There is a remedy. IT the people have courage to resort to it, and that rem edy may be found. If the better class of ou' population will stand by the ad- ministration of the law, with shotguns in their hands determined that the law shall not be trampled under foot, and the State of Alabama disgraced.
 | Every sheriff in the State of Alabama who has not got grit sufficient to de- fend his prisoners with powder and ball, should at once resign and let him take charge who has such courage. Every organization in the State whether temporal, morlal. or religious
 owes 1t to the country to give out an enuncAtion of their adherence to 'aw and order, and their determ.pItio tc Il stand by the Governor in his efforts