The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-10-12
Fss,Ing apa Prsxer.


sTss'InE ana Prsycr.
Bishop Alexander Walters. of the
National Afro American Council. bae
issued a proclamation ssk.ng ts,a AsT;.
can.race In America to observe Octo.
Der 2 as a day Of fasting and PRAYER
for the betteriug OF the condition of
the negroes In America. We have
read this proclamation, and we think
1t rather a peculiar document, which
Is calculated TO stir up strife between
the negro and the white man in the
South, instead Of benefiting the negro.
1t calls attention to the many wrongs
OF h negro, but says nothing what
ever about his numerous faults and
shortcomings. We give a few extracts
from this proclamation SO as our RI ad.
ers can Judge for themselves of its
character.
Inc proclamation opers by saying
IL is a call from God, and is sent forth
by divine authority. 1t then goes on
20 say that "in these days when SO
many men OF power and influence, aid
ed by a prejudicial press, are using
their Office of trust and honor to de-
grade and destroy ten million Amer.
lean citizens, and the greater major
1ty Of sixty million look on in silence,
1t Is time for the ten million thus on
pressed TO rise In their own de
Tense" This Is an Indictment against
every white mar in the South, and
suggests that it is time for t~lic;negr. es
to rise al d wipe them out. That is
The plain meaning of. The paragraph
quoted above.
The proclamation further says
when the Isrealites were oppressed
Mordecai called them to their knees
and he, with them, in dust and ashes,
cried unto the God of the oppressed
who heard them" The plain infer
ence OF this paragraph is that the
negroes are oppressed and that they
must ask God to deliver them. BY
whom are the negroes oppressed?
II any of them are oppressed in
this section except by their laziness
ana vices we are not aware Of it The
same may be said OF other sections OF
the South. The effect of the charge
that the negroes arc oppressed is cal
culated to cause trouble and no doubt
has much to do with the attack OF
black fiendS on white women.
Among the things that the negroes
are told in the proclamation to pray
for are to "besecch the Almighty to
cause justice to be done to all the peo-
pie In all the States by all the OH
GALS and"that the statute books up
on which are written infamous dis
eliminating laws and court records
containing entries Of unfair decisions
OF judges and juries be burned, and
the nefariouS convict lease system
will ceas its operation; that justice
will not unbllndfold herself when a
colored prisoner comes to the bar and
that the Fourteenth and Fifteenth
Amendments to the National Consti-
tuition will no longer be the National
lie in that great document" This is
a wholesale Indictment Of all officials
in the States Of the South, which will
have a tendency 20 make negroes re-
gard these officials as oppressors in
stead OF officers of the law entitled to
the respect Of every citizen.
What we have quoted Is a fair sam
pie OF what this so-called proclama-
tlon contains. From beginning to
end 1T speaks Of the so-called wrongs
and oppression of the negro race and
they are told. to fast and pray and ask
God to deliver their race out of the
power of the white race, who are held
up as the oppressors. 1t does not tell
the negro of his sins and warn him to
seek forgiveness, but it makes him
out a martyr suffering because he is
a negro. 1t does not a one word of
warning to the black fiends over the
beautiful Southland who are waiting
a cnance to vent.their hellish designs
upon white women Oh. no. These,
TOO, are classed among the oppressed.
We speak very frankly when we say
that such papers as this incendiary
proclamation is not calculated to help
the negro in the South. 1t Is rather
the cause Of such outbreaks as that
which occurred in Atlanta recently.
1t would be a good idea for the negro
race on the day appointed for them to
fast and pray to ask God to deliver
them from their fool friends who pro-
mulgates such wholesale ISLANDERS
against the white people of the South
as Is contained in this so.called pro-
clamation.
The court en- banc," composed of
all the circuit and the supreme court
Judges, which met in Columbia on
FRIDAY, refused n new trial to r. A.
Adams OF Colleton county who is IN.
der sentence OF death for the murucr
or MS kinsman named Jacques.
ALL the Democratic g~rafters In