New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-01

The letter % Booker T. Washington 10 The
birmingham Age-HeralG." which we reprint N
another column to-day. - n most impressive APP
peal and Te5uke 10 the white people Of the
south who tolerate the burning Of men and
women II bis race. il s. n calm. manly letter
that no white person can take offence al. But
Il must De extremely humill1ting 20 the mem
hers OF the superior" race thus 20 require IN
struction in tie primary principles 81 Chris
tIanity and civilization by n man whom the
Governor Of Mississippi calls niger and
declares 20 be unfit to vote. Mr. Washington
condemns as severely 8s anybody iawlessness
and crime the part OF negroes and favors
the imposition OF adequate and swift legal pen
alties Whatever he may think Of thG common
excuse FOR lynchiug negroes, be says nothing
about that. He centres his attention on the
growing barbarity OF burning negroes at the
stake without the excuse that they attacked
white women.
Even the most ureiudiccd dcvoJee OF white
supremacy must admit that It Is time for n call
10 repentance and reformation and the shame
IS that thousands Of white men I'm the South
have not raised their voices in horror over the
recent burning OF a poor black woman. whose
only crime seems 20 have been that she was
loyal 70 her husband and fed with him into the
woods after he had shot a white man in an
alteration. When before in America was 81 n
capital crime TO be The wife Of a murGercrg
| When did burning AT the stake become n suit
| able punishment for shooting a man I'm quar-
1 rel, whatever may be said Of It's virtues as a
penalty for brutal assaults on women? The
burning Of that black woman was an act OF
savage fiendishness as atrocious as any abuse
which sny black devil ever inflicted on a men,
Der OF the sex. The community In which II
took place gave Itself up 10 murderous passion
/ The burned wretches were not the only victims
Several perfectly innocent black men. going
about their lawful occupations were shot down
simply because the mob searching for the muir
dcrer thought they might be the persons wanted
Such happenings do not belong 10 civilized So
/ clcty. They belong rather in Darkest Africa
/ The superior" white race seems to be emulat-
/ ing the standards OF the despised black race in
SITS most untntored condition. No Congo canni-
! balls, unsubdued 10y the discipline Of the middle
! passage, seemed further away from concep-
! tons Of justice and law and humanity.
With Characteristic sanity OF judgment. Mr..
| Washington passes lightly over the Injustice
done 10 his race. and takes his stand for civil.
izaton-for civiliza ton OF the whites n well as
1 the blacks. What is 70 become OF n community
I whore in sight Of a Christian church a man can
| by popular consent be brrned 10 death for sim
/ pie murder and a woman be burned 10 death
/ for being his wifeI If this IS American Chris
tan civilization. the missionaries should return
/ from Asia and Africa and bring some Buddhist
/ ana Mahometan priests and even some pagan
4 witch doctors 20 rescue us from darkness. What
4 Booker Washington says about the duty OF the
. press and pulpit IA solemnly true. II is not n
1 question 81 protecting n few men and women
I from torture and DEATH or OF securing justice
. 70 the negroes. but 81 saving the American ma
ton. 70 people can give themselves up 10 such
barbarian without destroying their own char