The Washington bee., 1911-12-30
THE INNOCENT LYNCHED.

Editor of The Bee:
A telegraphic communication to
the Washington Post" OF the 9th
inst. stated that white tenants op
posed to the acquisition of lands by
Negroes in the neighbOrhOod be-
tween Clifton and Savannah, Tenn,
lynched two Negroes and one Ne
gress on their way to gin load OF
seed cotton raised on their own land.
This news item in the evolution of
things in which the Negro is con-
cerned, affords us food for reflection.
First Of all, it makes us ask our
selves the question whether the white
man. reasoning as he does IN respect
10 Negroes, is sincere in his desire
10 have the NegrO's uplift reality.
He advises the Negro to escheW poll
tics and address himself to the getting
OF property PerfOrce the Negro has
given up politics and has embarked
upon the trOubulOus sea OF industrial
pursuits with the purpose OF acqulr-
ing houses and lands; but so soon as
he shows an aptitude in wOOlng from
his mother the product of his labor
he IS bound to 1t, and the most hOTrl-
BILE of deaths-the death of burning
Is meted out to him, and the crime"
for which he IS made to pay the pen
atty is telegraphed to the world that
ne bought property among those who
did not want him in their midst.
The second thought is that II death
penalty is not inflicted by burning,
the same kind of men, little higher
up in authority, enact laws that segre-
gate the Negro under penalty of being
separated from the rest of mankind
as criminals behind the bars, All this
in a civilized" country by an en-
Ightened Christian" democracy.
Now, what shall be done, How
shall we treat the vapOrings of such
men who in one breath, with upl1fted
hands and upturned eyes, profess
that God is the Father Of mankind
and all are brethren; then, IN the
next breath, if personal contact with
a Negro IS brought about, even III
being contiguous in property rights,
the grace of God departs from them,
and the Negro IS denounced as
pariah and a heather, whose presence
in the community other than me-
NAL. is a good cause for ostraclsm
or burning? Is the Negro to blame
if he spuTns the white mans rellg-
ion?
But of another we have an item
which emphasizes the whites respect
for the house of God It is of Repre-
sentative Hehin, of Alabama, the un-
tried and unconvicted offender of the
law who sometime ago on his way to
deliver an address III a church, carried
a revolver with him, either to awe his
hearers into belief in his opinions
or to commit murder, used 1t in a
street car by shooting a Negro, and
almost killing a white man, has re-
introduced his bill for separate street
cars in the District of Columbia, He
thinks he has a better chance of hav-
ing it passed now than at any other
time, since he IS backed by Represen-
tative Clark, of Florida, and the
Democratic majority of the House.
We should like to know why this
social race. reformer is not brought to
Justice and acquitted" Here is one
of the most anomalous cases in the
history of criminal Jurisprudence. Al
man charged with a crime of mali
cious intent, and who knew before
he committed the act Of wilfully at
lCllptlitS liiC illN VI d ACilO" DNAHS
that he had violated a law fOrbidding
the carrying of concealed weapons,
IS permitted TO legslate in the high
est legislative assembly in the world
for men and women of unsullied char
acter. To what a barbarous condi-
ton have we come? Is it any wonder
crime is so rampant and the Negro
indiferently treated? If this gen
Grafton is to be abreast of the times
it must school itself in the ethics of
prOpriety and mOdesty of which Rep
resentative Heflin is an exponent To
act like him. with chivalry in the de-
tense of others unrelated, and who
afterwards cross the continent to es-
cape the nOtOriety of a nefarious in |
reference is the gospel OF prejudice, |
passion and partisancy taught in the |
school Of Negro race-antipathy. II |
this school continues to grow to |
such proportions as to attract "bar-
barOus' Russian and force her to rec
Ognize American passports TO her
former Hebrew children, and show |
her how considerate we are of the |
sun-kissed children of Ham, it will |
serve a useful purpose.
H. z BARNETT.
Dec. II, 1911