The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-27
UPHOLD LAW Is
JELKS' SUBJECT
Continued from First Paee.)


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tonish you to know that out of the
five who had met violent death at tire
hands of criminal mob, three of them
were without offense before the law.
People Are improving.
In respect to the crime of lynching
we may take heart In the fact that our
people are improving In 1892 there were
as many as twenty-five lynchings In Ala
bama. last year we got through with
one. In five years of this administra-
ton there have probably been not ex-
ceeding twelve deaths by mobs.
Are any of the persons lynched by
the mobs white? Oh no. They have the
blood of Africa in their veins. The lynch
ers seem to draw the line at white men.
All parties agree that we ought not to
lynch white people.
so far as we can read the inscrutable
ways of God the negro was not intended
to be the white mans equal. He has
never at any time In the history of the
world been so regarded In his native
home he has organized no great indus
tries; made no respectable laws and built
no decent homes. He has no literature
He has been the slave of the white man
until now and must always be his serv-
ant. That conclusion could hardly be
esca ped. 1t is only In America where he
, that he has accomplished anything
Il recognize the great burden that the
war left u.s. ! know what It has cost to
travel thus far with freed negro. We
know something of what it has cost to
carry him thus far on the way. The
criminal courts are practically kept open
for him. the burden of the great sam
collected. with little or no aid from him.
and dIsbursed for the schooling OF his
children. These two are burdens which
money will discharge and has discharged.
Who shall estimate the cost to white
people of this section for his criminal
tendencies. of the general prevalence Of
the smaller crimes among them. and
their influence on the superior race Not
only has the one race had to fight against
this sea of smaller crimes less they over
whelm it, but 1t has been forced to steal
to keep possession of Its own Institutions
and to prevent the state from being
Afrieanlzed. The horrors OF that situa-
ton were only lifted with the adoption
of the new constitution. which did away
with the necessity of stuffing ballot boxes.
Some Contempt for Laws
There is more or less contempt felt by
some people for the books which record
the conclusions of our conventions and
legislatures, and even the acts of our
own courts. man who feels so Is not a
1
without law we are in chaos. and that
only that people that humbly and meek
~ bow to the statutes and submit to
them can hope to have a land I'm which
peace may permanently dwell. Whip the
thief in the high places or low places
with the scorn OF your contempt. II the
penalty for murder is to be capital pun
ishment. let's see to 1t that men OF In
nuence shall suffer as those who are
poorer If theft is penitentiary crime,
let's put the grafters where they belong.
II to steal one dollar is an offense against
the statutes lets see to 1t that the theft
of fifty thousand is a crime OF larger de-
gree.
There has been some criticism Of me in
of the records nquirlng men would have
learned that fewer prayers for clemency
have been afflrmatlyely acted on by the
present executive than by any other.
with one exception, and he only served
for few months. Amy man who ever
sat in the chair / hold knows what a
tremendous responsibility is lodged I'm him.
Weekly the people who do sit on the
board Of pardons are confronted with
apparent inequality In the execution of
the laws that appall them. The better
class, and the more powerful get the
| lighter sentences VIGOROUSLY, and when
a solicitor succeeds in getting them be-
hind the bars their friends flock to the
governors office seeking the shelter OF
| the pardoning power: great flock OF
| influential people to plead for their re-
| lease: and on the other hand the poorer