The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1911-06-29

Governor
TD USE HIS INFLUENCE TO
CHECK GROWING PRkVA-
LANCE OF MOB VIOI.-
ENCE.
Relic of BarbariSm
And Absolutely UniustinabIe Under
Any circumstances is Lying Says
HOltZclaW to Governor OF MjsSiS-
Sirpi.

| SiIub
| Utica, Miss, June 23.---Champion-
| ing the cause of the the defense-
less in the South, yet in straight
| forward manner with that respect
due a high state official, William
II. HoltzclaW, principal Of the Utica
Normal and Industrial Institute, re-
Gently addressed a letter to Cover
nor f. F.. Noel, protesting against
the growing prevalence of that form
| of summary punishment and ap-
pealing to him to use his influence
among the people of the South In
| part, the letter to Governor Noel
reads
"In these trying days for my
| race, when so many of them are be-
ing put to death without the semb-
| lance Of trial, and when our own
state is listed SO prominently among
the states that have suffered from
the evils of lynch law, it Is difficult
for one deeply interested in it and
in all that pertains to it's progress
and that of the South generally, not
to raise voice Of protest
| News comes to us OF persons
lynched to the extent of one day
for ten days, and to make it worse,
eight lynchings happened on the
same day. | am greatly interested
in this question, because it is al
together likely that the lynchins
spirit which has hitherto been
shown by whites only may take hold
on the Negroes after a while, and
manifest itself in ways that will
| shock this nation.
1T is the spirit Of lawlessness
The same spirit that swings up d
poor, ignorant, degraded Negro in
Georgia and riddles his body with
bullets is the same spirit that that
| dynamites the house in California.
1t is anarchy IN disguise and an
archy in chaos. Committing more
crimes cannot be a cure for crime.
| Il appeal to you, my dear Cover
nor, not on behalf of those who
have suffered so directly from mob
violence, but on behalf of the law
abiding Negroes, who by suggestion
in the end may be led to follow
this deplorable example of murder
to satisfy some real or fancied in
jury, to use your great influence, tC
check mob violence amongst us.
dispatches tell us that only the
other day, mob of Negroes lynch
ed one of their own race in Meri-
gold, while they were applauded by
white men. 1t does not need pro
phet to tell where such actions will
ultimately lead. 1t is an easy stel
- from lynehing Negro while beina
lapplauded by white men, to murder
ing a white man beng applauded BY
Negroes; or to burning a barn ol
house, or acquiring the use of dy
Mantle.
Il take the position in regart
to this lynching by Negroes in Mere
lgold, that | take in regard to al
lynching; that it is absolutely un
justifiable under all circumstances
Is a relic Of barbarism and ough
f not to be tolerated in a civilized
} country. 1t is vain for civilized mer
= to-try to Justify SO -barbarous a prac
tice as that Of taking human 1ift
with out some process Of law.
Here in the South, white mer
make the laws; they interpret the
laws and they should enforce the
laws to the last letter, not over
ride them. All the machinery Of the
movement is in their hands; they
can destroy or defend, and the
black can say nothing but look on
and 1t matters not what may be his
opinion Of the white mans sense
of justice. Every time you make {
law and fail to abide by it, so Ions
as It's on the statute books, 20,
have done just that much to under.
mine the structure Of the govern
ment.
People who resort to mob VIC
lence as cure for any evil, over.
look the fact that ignorance is al
the bottom Of all and every crime
that provokes the mob spirit, anc
that q few hundred Of US, realiz.
ing that fact, are working day ant
night to wipe out ignorance ant
consequently, crime among U.s.
I'VE deplore crime among ou1
people, but we have faith that it car
be overcome by intelligent trainine
in industry. When every Negro is
engaged in some useful and congen.
ial occupation crime will be reduced
to minimum. | beseech you
therefore, to open the school house
door to every Negro child, as muct
for the sake Of the future Of your
own people as for my own. If 20,
will lend your great influence to the
work of helping us better the con
ditions Of our people, pledge yor
the hearty efforts Of ten thousar
educated Negroes in this state, who
! will see to 1t that crime Is wipet
out, and that there shall neither bt