The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1910-05-06
The Cruelty Of the Mob.


The d spatches tel the story of
mob chasing out Of Texas town the
other day 200 b ack men, women and
children. The mob that chased them
out was made up Of thousand infur-
lated men and boys. The account
says the blacks made No resistance. Ii
they mad resisted they would proba-
bly, have all heen murdered.
The only excuse given for the BIZ r
barity is that some of the blacks
talked TOO much about what they
were going to do. Admitting that
some one of the blacks talked In a
way that was calculated TO cause IL
ritation, how would that justify the
driving out Of lot of women and
children and old men from their
homes?
The language quoted that was COM
planned OF was that some black man
had said that the blacks had come to
stay. Well, that Of itself wouldn't
seem to be very grave offense. This
Is supposed to be free country
where any citizen, white or black, has
a right to go anywhere and stay so
long as he behaves himself. 1t would
seem that be would have to do some
thing worse than say that he had
come to stay to justify mob In chas
ing him out Of his home as if he were
mad dog id beating him up with
clubs AID stones.
I can not believe for minute that
the majority of the people Of the great
state Of Texas approve of the brutal
ty of that mob. They have some
notions in regard to the black race
that do not agree with mine, but
surely the most Uf them must be op
posed to this sort OF cowardly cruelty.
The black man has at least right to
live. He is supposed to have the
same rights Of citizenship under the
Constitution as any other citizen and
IL so he is entitled to the protection
of his person and property anywhere
under the folds Of the flag.
- Now, the leaders among the people
OF Texas would not be engaged in
mob like this, l apprehend, but, after
all. it seems to me that they are in a
measure responsible for such out
RACES. They insist on judging the
blacks as race and not as indivi-
duals. They have tried, as far as
they have been able, to disfranchse
them, not as individuals, but as a
race. They would disfranchise, if
they could, every man who has any
black blood In his veins, regardless OF
whether he is a good citizen or a bad
If these leaders insist on
CHASING all the colored citizens alike
il is not to be wondered at that the
mob wreaked its vengeance on all
alike who happened 20 have trace of
African blood in their veins. In my
opinion, so long as this indiscriminate
ban is placed on the race as race
lust so long will these outrages con-
tinue from time to time.
Let the southern states disfranchise
the ignorant and vicious black men
and also the ignorant and vicious
white men. The re is no serious OBJ
lection to that. In fact, l am inclin'
ed to think that it would be a good
thing. But give the black man who
Is trying to be useful, law abiding,
honest citizen a chance. Open the
door of opportunity to HIM and 1t
will be an encouragement to other
members of the race to make some
thing out Of themselves.
But If black man is to get no
credit for trying to be good citizen
what inducement is there for him to
be honest and law abiding and indus
trieusp
Admit, If you please, that the
southern blacks are many of them
shlftless and maybe immoral and al
together undesirable citizens, 1t eel
tainly must be said that some Of them
are doihg the best they can with the
opportunities they have, and they
certainly ought to be given a fair
deal. And, so far as the morals of the
race are concerned, 1t must be admit
ted by fair-minded white men that
the code of morals of the blacks has
! been learned from their white mas
tiers Mall and Breeze.
THE END OF THE WORLD
should it come tomorrow would dnt