Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-12-06

Gov. Jelks, of Alabama. has recently
any person for whatever crime " in
excuSable anywhere lit rs a defiance %
orderly government. but the Eill'nC of
innocent people undcr any prosocation
nocent people are likely to die when
n mobs terrible lust h once aroused.
The lesson Is this: No good citizen can
AFFORD to countcnance n defiance Of the
statutes, no matter what the provoca-
tion. The innocent frequently suffer.
and IL Is my observation. more usual
ly suner than the guilty. The white
colored race on the ground that even
the better elements lend no assistance
whatever In ferretlng out criminals OF
thelr own color. The respectable coli
ored people must learn not TO harbor
their criminals. but to assist the OFF,
GERS IN bringing them to justice. This
II the larger crime. and u provokes
such atrocious ofrenscs as the one at
Atlanta. The two races can never get
on until there II an understanding on
the part Of both 10 make common
cause with the law-abidng criminals
OF any color"
Danger OF Face Hatred.
Moreover. where any crime commit
ted by member OF one race against
member OF another race Is avenged
IN such fashion that II seems as II not
the individual criminal. but the whole
race. II attacked. the result Is to eNas-
perate 20 the highest degree race feel
ing. There Is but one safe rule In
dealing with black men as with white
men. " Is the same rule that must be
applied In dealing with rich men and
poor men. that II. TO treat each man
whatever his color, his creed. or his
social position. with even-ha nded jus
ttce on his real worth as "A man White
people owe IL quite as much TO them
selves as TO the colOred race TO treat
well the colored man who shows by
his life that he deserves such treat
ment; for ~ Us surely the highest wis
dom 90 encourage in the colored race
all those individuals who are honest.
industrious. law-abding. and who
therefore make good and safe neigh
hors and citizens. Reward or punish
the individual on his merits as an in
the end TO both races II we substitute
for this just rule the habit OF treating
ali the members OF the race. good and
social equality or negro domination"
involved. only the question Of relent-
lessly furnishing bad men, and OF Sc
curing to the good man the right to
hts life. his liberty. and the pursuit
OF his happiness as his own qualities
OF heart. head and hand enable him to
achieve IT.
Every coiored man should realize
that the worst enemy of his race IL the
negro criminal and above all the ne
gro criminal who commits the dread
ful crime OF rape; and IL should be felt
ssainst the wsois co SeSse ana s sT nen
the colored race In particular for a
colored man to fail 90 help the officers
OF the law In hunting down with all
possible earnestness and real every
such Infamous offender. Moreover. IN
my Judgment. the crime OF rape should
always be punished with death. as ~
the case with murder; assault with in
tent TO commit rape should be made a
capital crime. at least In the discretion
OF the court; and provision should be
made by which the punishment may
m m I'D . n r.r
the onense; while the trial should be
so conducted that the victim need not
be wsntonly shamed while giving tes-
timony and that the least possible
publicity shah be given to the details
The members Of the white race on
the other hand should understand that
much a loosenins OF the bands OF civ
nisation: that the spirit OF lynching
inevitably throws into prominence in
the community all the foul and evil
can take part in the torture OF a hu-
man being without having his own
moral nature permanently lowered
Every lynching means just so much
moral deterioration in an the children
who have any knowledge OF H. and
therefore Just so much additional
trouble for che next generation Of
Let justice be both sure and swift
but let 10 be Justice under the law
and not the wild and crooked savsgery
Of mob.
Need for Negro Edscatios.
There is another matter which has
q direct bearing upon this matter Of
lynchinE and Of the brutal crime which
sometimes calls IL forth and at other
times merely furnishes the excuse for
its existence. II Is out Of the question
for our people as whole permanently
own number. Even those who them
selves Tor the moment proht 10y such
maltreatment OF their fellows Will In
the long run also suffer No more
shortsighted policy can be imagined
than. in the fancied interest of one
class. to prevent the education Of an
chance for each boy or girl to get a
good elementary education lies az the
foundation OF our whole political stu
alton. In every community the poor
est citizens. those who need the schools
most. would be deprived OF them III
they only received school facilities
proportionately TO the taxes they paid.
This II As true of one portion Of our
country as of another II il as true
for the negro as for the white man.
The white man, IL he H. wise. will de-
grow TO manhood and womanhood
without education. Unquestionably ed
ucatton such as Is obtained in our pub
lie schools does not do everything to-
wards making man good citizen.
but II does much. The lowest and most
brutal criminals. those for instance
who commit the crime OF rape. are in
the great majority men who have had
either no education or very little: lust
as they are almost invariably men who
own no property: for the man who
puts money by out OF his earnings
like the man who acquires education.
is usually lifted above mere brutal
criminality. or course the best type
Of education for the colored man. ia =
ken as whole is such education as
Is conferred in schools like Hampton
and Tuskegee; where the boys and
girls the young men and young wo-
men. are trained industrislly as well
as in the ordinary public school
branches The graduates OF these
schools turn out we'll in the great ma o.
Jority OF cases, and hardly any of them
become criminals, while what little
criminality there Ia never takes the
form OF that brutal violence which in
vites lynch law. Every graduate OF
these schools--and for the matter OF
that every cher colored man or wo-
man--who leads a life so useful and
honorable as TO win the good will and
respect Of those whites whose neigh
Dor he or she is. thereby helps the
whole Colored race as IL can be helped
In no other way; for next TO the negro
himself the man who can do most to
help the negro b. his white neighbor
who lives near him. and our steady
EFFORT should be To better TIE relations
between the two. Great tho the bene-
nj Of these schools has been to their
gOlOTtd pupilS and To the eolortI upo o.