Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1904-10-02
The Titnes-Recorder Is the
AMERICUs, G8. OCT. 2, 1904.
[CC mmuniC ated. ]
TO NEWSPAPERS AND PULPIT

TO NEWSPAPERS AND PULPIT.
You have so much to say in regard
to the crime of lynching You seem to
want to destroy the only protectors the
women of the rural districts have, and
OF course that IL their fathers and
brothers You say there is no excuse
for lynchlng; that the State Courts are
ample and will severely and promptly
punish the criminals, and that these
lynchers, as you call them, do not
represent the best people of the coun-
try; that they are the low down
whites and are often drunk when
Furnishing these black brutes. Now
We will reason some, based on
facts and not on Imagination, and
might say crankyism. Now the fact
is most of these men are farmers, and
1 know that many of them are more
or less illiterate, but none the less
honest aud true to all good principles,
and love their families and never
hesitate to protect their women when
these black monsters attack them,
and they have long since learned, i
am sorry to say, that courts do not
punish Grim nails promptly, and you
know it. Just take the records and
see the delays, Communication Of
sentences and escapes and often you
might say justice has been defeated
Tne above is one of the reasons that
we are afraid to trust the courts. And
another reason, we do not want our
women dragged before the courts,
provided they have not been murder
ed, as often is the case when assaulted,
to relate IN detail before the world of
her horrible experience in which death
would be preferable to many. There
are great many people who live un-
der the protection of policemen and
behind brick walls who do not appre-
c1ate the unprotected conditions of
the farmer, and then there is, as has
always been, a good many people of
the so-called better class, preachers,
editors and lawyers whose capital
mostly consists of talk, who do not
consider the country people as they
should; and we are forced in a great
measure to take the law IN our own
hand on account of these legal delays
If we did not, God only knows how
few women would escape these fen
dish barbarians.
1t Is strange there is so little cone
domination from the pulpit and press
of the south Of these self.outlawed
people. All the talk and writing is the
condemning of these farmers. l say
farmers, for nine-tenths of these mobs
as they are called, consists of farmers.
Nine-tenths of these victims are the
wives and daughters of farmers. Why
don't the pulpit and press make it
point to try and stop these crimes.
Let the negro race know that you do
not uphold them IN committing these
crimes. You do not intend it, but In
condemning the lynchers so often and
saying nothing of the cause, has lead
the negro to believe that he has done
nothing very serious, and that the
pulpit, press and, I might say, our
Governor have taken their part. I
Will quote one expression of our
Governor, VIZ: "Th9 numbering of the
Hodge family was very little matter
compared to the disregard of the legal
authority" A little matter. A whole
family tortured and destroyed, some of
them burned alive. The crime has
never been equaled IN Georgia.
can hear you say that they had a
speedy trial and were Only convic ed
and sentenced to death IN as short a
time as the law would allow. Is not
that sufficient Yes, that would be,
provided no delays occurred. But
that is the trouble. In most of the Sc
bad criminal cases the fight just be
gins after sentence, and the records
will bear me out in it, and the negro
has found out if he can get to the
court house that he is safe.
The courts or law should be terror
to the evil-doer, but instead he looks
to 1t as loop-hole IN which he stands
good chance of escaping punishment.
All he has got to haye is little money
and his lawyers will almost bankrupt
the county in his delays. So, if you
Will investigate you will find we have
agood reason not to depend on our
SLOW process Of law in these assault
cases
know you will say that the assaults
women are not always the cause