Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1904-10-02


of lynching. That is true in some of
the cases, but the origin of lynch law
in the south, since the civil war, grew
out of these assaults. Well do I re-
member forty years ago when a negro
who had been raised slave carried
white farmers wife into the swamp
and tortured her for two days. He was
soon caught and shot to death on the
streets of Americas, in the presence
of the Yankee soldiers, and the crime
has been on the increase eyer since,
and as long as these crimes are COM
mitted the hatred of the two races
will become stronger and so violent
that they will be lynched for most any
crime committed. But it all origina-
ted from these assaults There is no
class of people who do more for the
negro and want to get along with him
more tn an the farmer, for two reasons !:
First, we want to live in peace with
all people we have 10 come in daily
contact with; and the second reason
and m ain one is, they are our only
labor. Therefore, the farmer is peace
ably inclined and financially inter
ested in getting along with them.
But we cannot and Will not allow them
to put their hands on our wives and
daughters. And it they viii keep
their hand eff will as ure them hey
will never be lynched.
You advise the pulpit and press
to condemn lynching and resort 10 sx-
tream measures. Now it is a pity to
bring dissensior in the churches on
account of people trying to protect
their families. Now let's see If the
farmers are all to blame for the present
conditions of society. The negroes
have been free, you might say, for forty
years; they are just forty times worse
now than at the beginning of freedom.
You will be obliged to admit that it
don't speak we'll for the white nor the
black pulpit of the south. What have
you been doing-T mean the churches
Has the preaching been of such little
force that the civil people you have
been preaching to for forty years are
forty times worse than when you com
mence
1.-THE kbC We statement is true, in what
degree has the white race refrigerated
This is more to be studied and thu
cause sought FIR than to condemn Il @
white people for trying to pro ect the
loved ones of our homes. Now /
would not presume 10 say what Is the
eau of all this lost time with The
masses, the negro race IN particular,
but it seems TO me like the churches
have lost the power they once had on
he people. Is it sensational preachers,
ministers, who don't preach from the
Bible, but gives the church-go1ng
people some sensation that turns their
thoughts from holy things? If the
church after forty years trial could not
hold the negro at the slave-time stand
ard of morality, what will the courts
do to help the present conditions of
the country?
[ think it is always best to bring
about reform by starting at the Cause.
and not the effect. Let the preachers
the and press advise and exhort the
negroes TO obey the laws of our land
and when they become law-abiding
and respect the rights of his white
neighbor, all the lynching will cease,
and not before Judge Hillyer, of
Atlanta, struck the key note in bis
letter to the Constitution on the sub
ject [ wish we had more such level
headed christian men to espouse the
cause of class of people who will be
forced to arm themselves for protec-
ton, because that better class, as
they style themselves, offer the country
people no moral support. Put the
censure where it belongs, and don't
cater to the negro and these Northern
negro agltators, and let your own
blood be the first consideration To
prove that am right on these delays,
take the Dismuke case of Webster
county, who could have been tried be-
fore the unfortunate woman became
insane from the abuse received from
her assalant. W. B HEYs.