The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-11-10
ALDRICH DENOUNCES
LYNCH LAW.
In Charge to Berkeley Jury Judge
Discusses Race Problem-Points
Out the Difficulty of Two Un-
equal Races Living To-
gether on Equal
Terms.

his charge to the grand jury at the
opening Of the fall term of the court
Of general sessions at Monck's Cor
ner, on November 2, Judge Robert
Aldrich spoke in part as follows:
'Here today are seven indictments
for murder in one county and, while
1 don't know. I would not be at all
surprised if there are not others that
the solicitor has not been able to get
ready. The newspapers, ministers Of
the gospel, good men in every voca-
ton, cry out every day about our
brothers. blood crying out from the
ground. No use for it to cry, if no
one heeds it. We all hear it. You
are the ones to heed it.
"In addition to these seven indict-
ments for murder, there is a full COM
plement of cases Of minor Importance,
but still Of great magnitude in them
selves
"I am forciblv struck with the fact
that the great majority Of these cases
occur among edlorcd pdople; from
their ranks come the principal law
breakers. That is a subject that I feel
my duty to present as forcibly as l
can for your consideration.
F'The people Of South Carolina,
and of the South generally, are face
TO face with problem, more momen-
tous, and more difficult, than any peo-
pie have ever faced-have ever been
called to solve-in the history Of civil
lization. Twelve millions Of white
people, the highest grade Of human
ity are forced to live in the same ter
ritory with eight millions of black
people Of the lowest grade of human
beings. This problem is not Of our
making, but we have to solve it. To
give YOU some idea Of the difficulties
to be encountered in the solution Of
this question, it is necessary to re-
fleet upon one characteristic Of hui
man nature. Whenever men are d.
vided upon any lines, there is that in
the human mind which causes RI
valry to spring up; rivalry grows into
jealousy, jealousy into hostility, and,
unless restrained, hostility be-
gets force and bloodshed. You see
this illustrated in the case Of school
boys in their foot ball clubs, their
base ball clubs and their debating So
cieties-rivalry, jealousy. hostility
and violence. You see it between po-
litical parties and factions. YOU see it
between different religious denomina-
tions in a very accentuated form.
Sometimes in the past it has broken
out and found expression in the fires
and massacres Of St. Bartholomew,
Smithfeld and the Spanish Inquisi-
tion. Here we are divided, our popula-
tion is divided upon the most acute
and accentuatcd lines that it is posi-
bic for civilized men to find themsel
YES divided upon: that is. upon race
lines. race instincts and race jealous
les. We are in a most unnatural con-
dition. Philanthropists are very
fond, in their comments on the sub
ject, of reminding us of the word OF
God. in saying. "That of one blood
God made all classes Of men'-but
they stop too soon, they do not 60 on
and say, and fixed the boundaries
of their habitations.' God intended
every race of man to live to itself.
Here we have two races Of men, to-
gether in the same territory and in
vested with the same privileges try
ing to live together in the same COM
munity upon terms Of legal and polltl-
cal equality. Whenever that expert
ment has been tried in other pals Of
the world, it was tried in the same
way that it was tried when first In
troduced here One race has had to
live in subord;nation 10 the other.
Here we have to try the experiment
of both races living together upon
terms Of equality. political and legal.
II say that it is the greatest pro-
blem that has ever been submitted to
civilized man to solve. How are You
going to solve it? I don't know. A
great many theories have been ad-
vanced in regard to it, but those the
oriSts don't know anything more
about It than I do. I would say that
the only practical way to meet those
difficulties, is, as they arise. Let
the wise and virtuous Of both races