The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-01-18
RACE PR 0 81 EN-.
Mr.. ]. o. Pettis Writes Interest.
ingly of the Southern View.
THE TRAIL OF THE SERPENT
is Felt Throughout the Sunny South
and Presents Grave Problem for
Our Civilization.

EQlCOr UenlSOn REVIEW:
We recently enjoyed a half days
visit with the most remarkable man
we have met since coming to Missouri,
he comes right from the BLACK belt
of the south. Some of his statements
in reference to people and things there
are counter to reports frequently
found in newspapers. AS he is col
lege-bred, Doctor of Divinity, a
man of unusual mental vigor and re-
ligious fervor, we give him full con-
fidence. For the last seven years he
has served the Baptists of the Gulf
states and the Carolinas as state
evangelist, visiting nearly every i'm
portant town remaining long enough
to observe the moral and political
trend of the people, their ways Of
doing things and leading activities.
He says there is a comparatively
small class of colored people who are
selfrespecting, intelligent, appreci-
ating education and make sacrifices
to obtain it for themselves and their
families. They support every meas
ure that has for its object the better
ment of humanity Indirectly advance
ing their own interests by the eleva-
tion of the white race. There is also
larger class in some districts ma
jority who are willingly and willfully
ignorant without any moral quality or
susceptibility. These can be aroused
to nothing nobler than the low animal
life in which they were born for they
have in them absolutely nothing that
cna be laid hold of to work trans
formation or even desire for better
life. Their wretched condition is not
surprising when we consider they are
the dregs of nation 'meted out and
troden down" for centuries and also
have in their veins to so large an ex-
tent the blood of the most vile and
vicious specimens of humanity who
perverted and prostituted every ele-
ment of manhood to serve the devil
in the refinements of cruelty and de-
baucheries of lust. 1t is with this
large and lower class the white race
are having trouble. 1t is now upon
them as curse for slavery and will
continue to be the trial of the SCRIP
ent" in the history of those states.
Questioning the Doctor in reference to
lynchings, he replied they are frequent
and just awful. They may occur
during revival meeting when the
Word is taking effect and souls are
being made to feel that the Kingdom
of Heaven has come right unto them
some are coming into the light. There
S every prospect of a great work. An
outrage is reported, instantly pan
demorium breaks loose. The crimi-
nal, or at least the supposed criminal
is run down and then follows scenes
which ought never to be reported.
Lynchings are more debasing and de-
moralizing on the white than the col
ored race, cultivating in them relish
for barbarism and disregard for law
and yet he sees no other way to pro
coed in such cases under existing cir.
cumstances. There is so much laxity
in their courts-a black william is ar
rested for this worst of all crimes
every one of his class become his fas
friend and raise money to fee law
yer even colored females prostitutinf
themselves to ''white trash" obtain
ing money to aid in such cases. TIL.
lawyer working in the interests of hi
client delays trial by every hook ant
crook and possible technicality unit
i the woman in the case is perhaps dea'
or removed or having recovered, i
unwilling to have her name and he
! friends again before the public and tn