The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-04-04

81 80 ~ 11IM1l1lIIl0I
M u. n. HAlmA
In . recent issue Of your paper. see
| q stafement OF lynching for 1908. Ala
bama and other Gulf states are re-
ferrsd TO - having fairly good"
reoords. while iowa. Nebraska and
Northwestern States have 'ciean"
records.
This statement 10 hardly fair to the
Gulf States. 1t IL not 20 mach the
number q crimes which determines the
status Of q county or state. a the
social conditions which. directly or in
directly. lead to these crimes. And !
submit that reverence for law u as
real ana deep in Alabama a. In any
state in the Union.
Then why does Alabama show a
darker record than Massachusetts, or
wisconsin? Two reasons may be
given for this. (1.) The presence OF
. lawless and degraded class OF
negroes in the river counties OF the
state do not mean that majority
Of these are habitusiiy iawiesa do
mean, that thousands of them are not
held in check by any moral restraint.
ana when. an opportunity comes to
them TO crafty the sensual nature or
to steal ten dollars, they will not hesi-
tate to commit rape or murder. Many
Of these people are good-natured and
apparently harmless but the APE and
tiger" sleep In them ami are very
| easily awakened. This 10 not the Inn
preston received by many good people
In the East and North These guile
less citizens listen to colored orators.
while they describe the advancement
of their race and then wonder why wo
should be FESTIVE in the midst OF so
much thrift and progress. I admit the
progress on the part Of older negroes.
perhaps there has been q general al
vancement of the race. but the facts
are precisely as have stated them.
This menace to home and life is al
ways in our thoughts. More than In
dustriai or educational reasons does II
account. for the movement to village
and town.
go In any direction from Faunsdale,
and pass fine old mansions falling
into decay. Many of these would be
occupied by the owners II II was con-
siderei safe for families to live there.
| This Consciousness Of social peril
makes men sensitive to Indications of
racial trouble. Sometimes 1t leads us
into measures that are not best for
ourselves or others.
| I notice that. In states to which
negroes go in any numbers, people be
come more sensitive than we are.
What was ardent affection at long
range often changes to a strong
antipathy when the negro becomes a
neighbor. Less provocation calls out
the mob. and questions that we leave
to the courts are. In Illinois and
Indiana for instance Settled by, lynch
Ing.
ca Another reason for the dark
er record of Alabama ia the frequent
failure OF the courts to administer JUS
tice. That this defective work of
courts Is not peculiar to the South is
shown by the following words OF the
!, Elk Attorney General OF the United
States. .'The beach, ana professional
opinion among the bar tolerate all
kinds OF diiatory, frivolous. and often
ridiculous proceedings on the part of
unscrupulous counsel intended to cheat
Justice of her plain dues % sOur laws
show little sense OF the value to socie-
ty of a speedy administration of JUS
tice." So the statements Of this letter
are not merely the thoughts OF an
Imaginative layman.
|, AT the Same time, think that the
failure to execute criminal law In the
South has q more hurtful influences
THAN in other states. ana in conjunction
with the reason. already given it &C
counts for the 'unenviabie record We
have. stb $50
There was telling illustration OF
this few months ago. A planter
was murdered in his home near Fatins
dale. The circumstances attending
this murder were OF peculiarly
atrocious character. Mr.. Drake was
noted for HIS Kindness TO negroes. and
the four who were in the plot. had
been about him for years. Their plans
were formed deliberately. and for tbs
purpose of getting money Mr., Drake
| was supposed TO have at that time
After waiting for a favorable oppor'
! tunity they killed him while he wal
asleep then saturated the bed with Goa
oil and set 1t on fire. This fire arous'
ed the neighbors. and soon the muir
derers were in safe keeping. The lead
err the negro who crushed the sleeper'
skull was caught on an adjoining
] plantation. and when brought back
| told his captors where they would find
the piece Of iron pipe he had used
There are few states in which tbs
active participants In such q crime
would be living six hours after being
Icaught But the two sons OF the MUIR
ldered man. sustained by other citizens
OF the community, pleaded for a legal
| trial and conviction. The case was SC
clear that no difficulty could be put In
the way This counsel prevailed. and
at M time before the trial was there
any danger Of lynching When the
case was tried. the actual murderer
was sentenced to the penitentiary for
/ life. did not. attend the trial. and
cannot say whether the distinctive
traits of north state jury; or the
eloouence of counsel, or any other OF
the many influences which play about
the court and Jury rooms. was the oc-
CASTOR of this verdict. do know that