Franklin's paper the statesman., 1911-09-16
sTEMoNs ON LYNcHINe.
coatesviIIe Horror Puts White civiIi-
zation on Trial, Ho Says.

zation on Trial, Ho Says.
In a letter to the Philadelphia Rec
ord, Aug. 90. James S. Stemons has
the following to say in condemnation
Of the recent lynchins of Zack Walker
in Coatesville. Pa:
The one redeeming feature about the
Coatesville horror. the one thing which
proclaims in thunder tones that, what
ever may be said of the citizens of
that city. the state OF Pennsylvania is
not on a par in depravity with certain
sections of the south and with Ohio
and Illinois, is the outspoken stand Of
the leading newspapers OF Philadel-
phia and the state against 1t. 1t is
noteworthy that the Record has given
the most practical turn to this protest
of any publication in asking that a
mass meeting be held to voice the
horror and relentless opposition of all
human beings to such evidences of
barbarism in this state.
1t should be borne In mind also that
this is a matter that concerns Negro
citizens only indirectly-a matter in
which Negro leaders should not be ex-
pected to take the initiative. 1t is the
white mans civilization that Is on
trial. 1t is for the white man to prove
to the Negro and to the world. with
out pleading or prompting from any
source, that those creatures OF Coates
Vile who either participated In or
sanctioned by their silence the COW
ardly orgies of week ago do not rep
resent the kind Of stuff of which white
people in general and those of Penn
sylvania In particular are made.
The press should appreciate Its aw-
full responsibility to society. Had 1t
not been for the readiness Of the press
in general to say those things which
are calculated to arouse passion
against the Negro and to suppress or
belittle those things which would in
spire feeling Of respect and consid-
Grafton for that race the demons at
Coatesville would never have intaEpret-
ed public sentiment against Ne9fces
as being in favor Of such an Outrage
as they committed. Even in the earlier
reports of this crime there were noted
the same stereotyped methods OF the
press to justify the lynching and In
fame public feeling against the Negro
in the studied efforts to deify the muir
dered white man and to demonize the
murdered Negro.
This was done by repeated ref
erences to the latter as "a big.
black southern brute" Ito the average
newspaper every Negro criminal Is
.'brute," while no white criminal ever
descends to that leveD and to the
brutal murderer of big. kind hearted.
gentle Ed Rice" 1t is now in evi-
dence. however. that in thus sowing
to the wind of race hatred and scorn
the newspapers have reaped a whir'-
wind of an unbridled passion and de-
generacy that threaten to disinteErate
our entire social fabric and have
brought ineffable shame and disgrace
upon so called white civilization.
II this "last straw" shall serve to
awaken the public press to the inglO-
rious part that it has played in max
ing possible such crimes as this.
arouse the world to a sense of Ameri-
cas- true position in the scale OF civ
ilization and start a determined move
ment for putting down mob violence
in this country. who shall say that
Zack Walker fed those cruel flames In
vain?