The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-17
HE POINTED THE WAY
Spight Shows that the Idea of Social
Equality Drives the Negro to
Crime. The Difference Be-
tween Lynchings North
and South.
lBy the Associated Press

PCstoffice Appropriation bill Mr.. Spight,
of Mississippi, discussed the negro ques-
ton. He said he desired to vindicate the
South from the charge of barbarism. In
the South, he said, the negro had been
denied the right to vote and to hold office,
but not the right to work for an honest
living as had been done in the Northern
States. I'VE sometimes kill them for out
rageous crimes" he said, but never be-
cause they want to work" AS for lynch
ings, he said, that sometimes they have
Unnecessarily occurred in the South He
referred to the Wilmington. Del, lynch
ing last year, and to the subsequent at
tacks on the negro settlement. This never
occurred in the South, he said, when
the guilty wretch has paid the penalty OF
his awful crime, that is an end OF it,
he continued; 1.-THE mob is satisfied and
does not wreak indiscriminate vengeance
upon the innocent because they belong
to the same race as the criminal He
said that unlike the people OF the North
the people of the South don't go out
with a torch in one hand and Il gun in
the other, and, pointing the gun at de-
fenseless women and children shoot them
as they flee for their lives" He said tins
had occurred in New York city in 1900
and ne referred to a number OF lynchings
which had occurred in the North, includ-
ing those at Danville, lis, and Spring
field, Ohio, adding that such race
prejudice finds no place in Southern
hearts"
Mr. Spight continued: so far as
am concerned l am opposed to mob VIC.
lence as a general proposition. l do not
think that lynchings for any other crime
than the nameless one against woman
hood ought ever to occur. In all others
the courts of the country arc ample and
generally, with us, swift 10 punish
''Rut in the one class of crimes so
brutal and destructive of all that is dear
to an enlightened people, no one with n
spark of manhood in him can doubt that
instant death to the perpetrator should
follow upon the ascertanment OF the gull
ty facts. The poor suffering woman who
has been the victim of the devilish lust
of brute, white or black. should not be
compelled to appear in court and repeat
before a jury the horrible details of the
outrage"
Mr.. Spight recited that the burning at
fined to the South, but had occurred in
the North as we'll"
Mr.. Spight spoke of the attempt Of GER
tain white persons to put the negro on a
social equality with themselves. and re-
ferrng to the occasion when Booker
Washington dined at the white House with
President Roosevelt, said that 'this one
incident had done more to inflame the
| h. o,,1
verted idea of his Importance and his
near approach to social equality than any
thing that had been done for the last ten
years
| He said Booker Washington had sat
down to dinner with the President las
gracously as if he had been the governor
of New York" He was, he continued, sor-
| ry that Mr.. Washington did not have more
sense and scf-respect than TO accept the
invitation. It would have been infinite
! ly TO his credit had be declined. ''Thc
more the negroes are put on a social
equality he vigorously asserted. 'thc
more dangerous becomes their position and
the surer death by violence will ovcrtakc
them sooner or later
Mr.. Spight referred to the arrest in
Indianoa, Miss. of white agents of Il
| Cincinnati picture company who were
selling to the negroes indecent pictures
In his opinion the agents should have been
| lynchcd
| The granting of subsidies to railroads
| for carrying the mails was vigorously OPP
posed by Mr.. Robinson, UndJ, who char
acterized them as a stain ard blot upon
the bill
Mr. Sibev (Pa.), contended that to dc
ny the subsidy would be doing a manifest
injustice to the interests of the South. A
heated discussion followed which was par
tlcipated in by Messrs. Lamb, f(VdJ,
Holiday, (Ind.) and Gaines. (TennD M
Robinson had charged the Republicans
with being responsible for the subsidy,
which brought from Mr.. Lamo an en-
phatic protest, saying there were as good
Democrats IN the House as. Mr.. Robinson
who would support the proposition
Although the Louisville and Nashville
Railway, one of the roads benefited by
the subsidy, passed through his town, Mr.
Gaines excitedly declared the subsidy to be
"a legalized steal
Mr.. Aiken, Is. CO. urged an increase
in the salary of rural carriers to 5000.
Mr.. Finley IS. CO, followed with an
analysis of postal appropriations for the
past twenty years. He beliveed in a
reasonable and just allowance for clerk
hire for all rostoffices, and said he would
not condemn any member for requesting
allowances for separating mail and fol
unusual business.
There were. he said. rumors of the abus,
of the ranking privilege and the com
mission should look into that.
Mr.. Sibley {Pa), suggested to Mr. Fin
ley that if he personally knew of any sucl
abuses it was his duty to cali specific at
teptiop to the individual
Mr.. Finley declared he was not max
ing charges against members of Congress
but had read the statements in the pub
lie press. He said the public mind wa,
saturated with the, charge that there wa.
corruption in the Postoffice Department
and the only thing to do was to inyesti
gate it. Ii there was scandal to be nm
covered, the rascals and grafters,' b,