The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-26
ATLANTA'S RIOT

ATLANTA'S RIOT
| -
Memphis Commercial-Appeal Atlanta
has put the south to shame. The horrible
rioting in that city wherein the whites
emulated northern communities In wan
ton and indiscriminate killing of innocent
negroes reads more like Springfield.
o.. race riot or a New York negro. shoot
ing uprising than the retrihutive justice
which the south is in the habit of dealing
to the wretches who attack women.
Columbia State Probably no person
fully understands the various causes that
have resulted in the present state of af-
fairs in Atlanta. The whites have share
| of the responsibility. A competent and
faithful negro detective could, in time,
reveal the drift of mind of the criminal
negro in Atlanta and give fair sum-.
mary of the causes. The employment of.
such detectives would have been in the
! interest of law and for the protection of
women; that would have been worthy
object for an Atlanta paper, but instead
one of them offered $1,000 reward for the
! lynching of a ravisher Since that dis
graceful stand against the laws made by
the people of Georgia there have been
seven criminal assaults within the Geor
gia metropolis. And these seven assaults
have followed the killing of two brutes
| guilty of such crimes. So we find that
neither lynchngs. nor rewards for more
lynchngs nor public threats have de-
tered the criminals. 1t is therefore time
for Atlantans to earnestly seek for both
cause and remedy; it Is no time for In
sanity or for blind and purposeless blood
shed
Richmond Times Dispatch But what
| force can preaching have, in the face
of such outrages as have been committed
In and around Atlanta? The negroes seem
to be moved by the spirit of racial hatred,
and have vented their wrath upon inno-
cent and defenseless white women. They
have set the law at defiance How. then,
can they invoke the protection of the
law? They have acted like so many wild
beasts at large How, then, can they hope
to be treated as human beings? They
have themselves declared war on the
women. and when the Anglo-Saxon goes
to war in defense of his home and fire.
side, he knows no law save the law of
! vengeance-an eye for an eye and tooth
for TOOTH
The negroes are bringing this vengeance
| upon their own heads, and we repeat the
| warning given month ago. If this crime
is not stopped, not only will lynchng con-
! tinue, but the very existence of the negro
race will be in jeopardy.
New Orleans Picayune The negroes are
not slow to see the powerful instrument
! talities that are working everywhere in
/ their behalf. and they are presuming upon
the fact. The proper way to stop lynching
is to visit instant and incorporating
punishment of the sternest sort upan raw
ishers, instead of transferring all the Of
fetal indignation upon the outraged peo-
pie who feel that there is no other al
tentative but to wreak popular violence
upon the atroclous criminals.
OF course, 1t is the sworn duty of COVER
nors, sherlffs and all other officials hold
ing executive authority to enforce the
laws and protect prisoners at any cost,
but the people also have a natural right,
! when the laws in the hands of the Of
/ fcials fail to protect, their. homes and
family life, to use any means in their
power to protect themselves and all that
/ is dear to them.
Florida Times Union. The state troops
were slow in mobilizing in Atlanta Satur-
day night, while race war or negro
massacre was in progress. This, taken i'll
connection with the conduct OF the troops
at statesboro, is sufficient to create the
suspicion that the Georgia troops. for any
emergency, are not worth the powder that
is expended In their target practice and
as matter of economy should be dis
banded.
Admission Star: Just word to the At
lanta papers. The assertion made by PROM
inent speakers in the mass meeting of
yesterday that papers of Atlanta are re-
sponsible in large measure for the city's
disgrace is true. Hence, 1t Is no time for
mere editorial philosophizing, but time
for the papers to practice what they
preach.
A few lessons in psychology with par
ticuIar reference to the law of sngges-
ton. are badly needed in editorial rooms
of the Atlanta papers. Sensational scan
dal extras" with glaring headlines, only
serve to set in operation the law of sug-
eestion in the minds of emotional negroes.
Their morbid imaginations are aroused,
a train of licentious thought is actuated
and the thought is father to the unutter-
able deed
Let the Atlanta papers grasp this
thought and profit thereby.
Chicago Record Herald: The riot
ing and indiscriminate murder OF
negroes in Atlanta will Inevitably be-
come the occasion. both in this country
and in Europe, for fresh comparisons be-
tween the treatment of the blacks in the
United states and the Jews in Russia At
lanta will be name placed along with
Klschineff, Bialystok and Siedlee.
So far as the immediate provocation for
the rioting is worse in Atlanta than in
Russian cities, Atlanta will make the bet
ter showing but so far as the innocent
have been killed in the stead of the guilty
IT will make no better showing
Sc far as public officials have refrainer
from melting riot Atlanta will make the
better showing. but so far as rioting has
occurred which more energetic measures
by notice or militia could have prevented
,.ta.,.o ,,,,st apdtra thp full measure Of