Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-06-26

able TO send the great mass OF their
children to pay institutions, and yet
thew are in the main, too Indifferent to
send them to the public schools. Now
II II is true that that the child is wrong
ed by being allowed to grow up in ig-
norance, and since the State Is the one
to step in and take the part OF, or see
that the wronged gets his rights; and
since it 10 thought best to make local
option matter OF this question OF com
pulsory school attendance, l sincerely
hope and trust that 1t will be the good
pleasure of every county and district
wherein Negroes reside In any great
numbers. not even leaving out the
school districts ia which is the city OF
Lexington, Il say hope 1t will be the
pleasure Of every such district 20 pass
the compulsory school law, In order
that the leaven OF ignorance may be
pureed out OF the coming Negro, and
that the whole Of society may De oene-
ited by those conditions that arise
from the intelligence OF the people.
need not speak at length on the
political status of the Negroes OF this
city. 1t is sufficient to say, that out Of
the oil citizens who had in last Deem
Der, paid their captaticn taxes, can be
found only "a of color A hint TO the
] wise here is sufficient.
Now may | say word concerning
the lawless element among US. That
element by which we are so often mis-
Judged, and from whose doings we are
so often held up for the rldicule of the
world. l agree with President Roose.
yelt that "every Colored men should
realize that the worst enemy OF his race
Is the Negro criminal" but l do not
agree with him in that, "it should be
| felt as In the highest degree an offence
against the whole country for colored
man TO fall to assist in the hunting
down every such Infamous offender.
Here to my mind, the Preside mt places
the Negroes in quite rredicament as
to their criminal status In this country.
In The first place, every law abiding
colored citizen in thi country .desplses
and abhors the brutal pieca OF humani'
ty who would, as a cringiug beast, as
sault Door defenSeless female CT any
race. or who would be guilty Of com
hitting any OF the thOu and and ont
acts Of our criminal class; but | must
say for the bent fit Of tine extreme Negro
hater, il such one can be found IN th'
pure atmosphere OF Lexington. that 4
the Negro could be assured OF IAN
trial by Jury after finding the criminal
and If they could BE- assured that ht
would not be mobbed II proven guilty
doubtless colcred men would NOR
re adily Join with the officers OF tn
law in running down Negro criminals
This expression does not frean tina
since or in the case that such assurance
cannot be had, we, the colored citizen
OF this town are going to harbor on
criminals. We hold that the law ough
) to lay hands on every 1ne OF them;
think It, ought to be more energet'
along this line even In our well-ordere'
city. We have the germs OF Grim
here In Lexington, in the form oil &c!
,, tain places of qIestiona5le character
and why there has never come a serl
GUS clash bet~ cen the races us resul
of these places, cannot see. 1t mus
be simply because the good people c
the v bite race here know that the bel
: Ger element OF the colcred race do no
l countenaneA the existence OF resorts
i'll repute, although they are po~eiles
: to eradicate tn, evil. Although We az
, hor ANYTHING that may have tendenc
: to make a breach between the races q
this city, ard although we detest an
character, man or woman, who Is so To-
and degraded to bring on such, yet
there be such among us, II our street
Z are infested with loa.ers T. ON the low
= est strata of society, whose duty Is
: to have a way made along which beth
: respectable white WI man and .colore
Il woman alike may walk, hut that OF th
u men OF authorityf We make NO law
' we construe no laws, and We dare NJ
;, try to execute any laws.
I would have all to understand, l
{ conclusion, that The Negro brute L
whose atrocious crimes every homes
. Negro hangs his head in shame an
! whose punishment is never too severe,
Z not the product OF the Negro, He
y not found in our homes, our schools
y our churches, aud therefore none OF OF
q saving q al exalted influences can reac
: him. Our black arms are too shor
g Only the long arms OF the Anglo-SaxC
J. can reach him. ALI that we can do
= this matter Is to appeal to the author
ties in white.
!. The greatest phase OF this "Gret
u American Question" IL that OF IL
criminal element, and although the
. may be i.any things which we may
u to ultimately eliminate that element,
although We may be able by syste
= OF evolution to purge out the dross'
- hold that II there be anything like
L !, immed late panacea for the ills oil 6
n ciety, which Ills are, many OF them, u
. outcome Of Negro criminality, spch
= onre-all is In the hands OF the oth
race. and hence we implore that rae
. for the good of all concerned, to do
y utmost to maintain peace, order. al
good will among us at all hazards, al
{ we will unhesitatlngly assure them
our most hearty co operation to u
=; utmost of our ability.
= What we mean TO do, is not 10
- sumo a police authority and sally for
70 in search OF Negro criminals, but rain
20 to try to insti,l in those who are to cor
y after us such principles as viii III
ie mately by evolution reduce to mll
mum the criminal element OF the N
q. groes. -. I'll.
" We are grateful to our white frlen
~ ~ for favors Ia the past, and we sincere
y, =, hope that We may be worthy OF I'M
so consideration in the future, ana tn
nc nc with their cooperation, 1t can soon
a. a. said that the 'Great American Qu'
10 ton" is settled in Lexington, and th
y 1t is settled right. This can only
Il done by the hearty coo peration oil
- and an effort on the part OF the Negro
90 90 to make the most of their opportu
az ties and privileges, and by a draw
az of the line between the self -respectl
ho and the non-selfrespecting classes,l e,
dc ing the latter to be dealt with accordi
vu to law.