The leader., 1905-03-15

bles the movement of the tiger,
when pursuing bis prey The
presence Of the fend IS never
known until the terrible deed has
been accomplished, and the victim
left bleeding and dying, with sell
dom trace Of the identity Of her
destroyer.
Forty years Of freedom and
public education have not fulfilled
the Utopian dream of the negro
philist Of the North, and the
North favored vagarist Of the
South. 1t has not improved the
negro's morals, awakening within
him al intelligent love of coun-
try, or cultivating an uplifting,
misunderstanding self-respect.
He is the barbarian still, with a
thin Feneering Of civilization, and
the education afforded him BY the
white man S money, over a period
Of forty years, seems only to have
increased his capacity for crime.
In his educated condition, his as
piration to rise in the world and
stand on a dead level with the
white man socially and otherwise,
Inanifests itself in beastly assaults
upon white women.
The situation is becoming des-
perate and something must be
done.
While the average negro is In
herentiy immoral, the more
vicious criminal among them is
the idler. There is nothing to
fear from the patient, working
negro. lie is thinking about his
work, rather than deYoting his
time to the excogitation of devel-
ish schemes. He may not tell a
white man, even If he knows of
the whereabouts of the most de-
praved negro felon, because he
thinks that the only objectionable
sin negro can commit, is to in-
form a white man of crime conn-
mitted by a negro against a white
man. At the same time, this me-
gro, though he will shield a Grim
inal of his own race, may himself
be otherwise correct in his own
life. And that is one Of the
greatest difficulties in this ex-
traordinary situation.
What shall be done2
The answer is simple.
Let the law be enforced.
Let there be at once in every
county in the State Of Mississippi
a most vigorous campaign against
the yagrant- the viciousidIer and
the keeper Of dives of infamy.
Let the rendezvous Of the rapist,
the murderer, the crap-shooter,
and the blind tiger be closed.
In other words, enforce the law.
The law of the land is ample, even
in this emergency, if only rigidly
enforced, and its enforcement is
the only prophy yIactic for this So
cial distemper.
Fail to enforce the law and the
mob will usurp the function which
you should perform, but which
you have betrayed.
There is no time for hesitation,
for be who dalIies is a bastard,
and be who doubts is damned.
/ am aware of the fact that the
officers Of the law, in the perform
ance of their duty in this regard,
will, encounter opposition from
some eminently respectable "a
gentlemen living in the cities,
who have houses to rent, and 9th!
ers IN the country, who will insist
that labor is being driven from
the State, but such specious ar
guments should be Of no avail
with a white man or an officer
who has the welfare of bis State
at heart. Let me insist that the
officer treat such opposition as he
would any other class Of crilni.
mails. For | hold that man who,
for pecuniary profit, would imperil
the fair name of woman, Or The
peace Of the community BIZ rent.
ling d house to a person whose
business be knows to be danger.
|ous to the peace and morals 81
that community, is himself d
greater enemy to society than bis
criminal tenant.
Much has been said about clos!
ing the door of hope In tile face ID
the black man. Unless the off.
GERS Of The law do their foil duty
ia suppressing the increasing
criminal tendency Of the negro, It
looks to ME like the probability is
that the door of hope will be
closed ID the face Of the white
man. y
want the law enforced.
want the negro protected il bis
enjoyment Of life, liberty, the
product Of his labor and the pur-
suit 0f happiness
want the mob spirit discoar-
aged LID every way And the only
way to do II is to enforce Yigori
ously the law against tile vagrants
particular Y, and all criminals Of
kakh rnnae r 4 HIS shall ia aona