The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-10-28
Ghs @utbmau ana Ssdkron.
bonolshs6 WsanssaAy asd eatSrdsy.
BY
0o11EN lsUnDUHII0 COMPANY.
oU4TDR. q q.
I0R0Ds
olse ~ aanum--in sAva,os.


%
0eaesaces fer three snonths o.
)saoes vtu - naaAs as reduced rates
~ ee0Aunieations shich sub
eRvs Dsivsss iatsssses Vim b charged
- - aAvsstissaeatA
oeeeuAsSs end trtbusss os rsspsc
om - ehasssA C..
- Sumter Watshman was found
g - 1ose and ths Tfus southron II
ooo& n Wasehnan and southror
80 - IN combined circulation and
n0penes sf both Of ths old papers
- = osaIlssselv ~ bet sdvertisin,
0oCD1m n sumter.
1hs price Of cotton seed keeps pace
with price Of the staple. With cotton
nearing the twenty cent mark and
sesa selling At $50 ton. cotton Ia in
dssd the king of all crops The fly
IN the ointment is the fact that few
SArmsrs made as much as a half crop.
t. 80
Respect for private property IL the
outstanding mark of modern civiliza-
sion and personal honesty. The boys,
who are raidsng pecan groves In the
city and making picnic OF swipiSg
Al the nuts they can gather 'befote
being detected and driven OF. INDY
think Il n IN innocent form Of amusS-
nsn&, but. ~ . matter Of fact. they aie
ouiity Of petty larceny and are build.
tne . character foundation on dis
honesty.
The farmer who plants all cotton
next year and the year after. expecting
% make . finai big killing before the
bon wssvil reaches Sumter county, will
make q mistake. Even though he
nakss big crops and realizes high
prlcss for his cotton. he will be un-
prsparsd 10 farm under boil weevil
conditions thereafter and will ultima
sely lose more than he made. The
Aext two years must be devoted to in
ss'htsnt and strenuous efforts to get
ready for a nev' system of farming.
A(.It =
Thoss people of Abbsvills. who.
>snpessrily frsssisd by race prejudice,
tovstsed 20 slvass lawiessnsss. n
1l1[ yepG ssncs upon The object
u!OlD rave done themselves.
thei9 eor'muhaf, and the state great
wrong. The nsifo- Crawford was kill
- without warrant OF law and with
not even what rs ordinarily consider.
"a alegitimats sxcuse for resorting to
lynch law. Tho newspaper reports In
dicate that, at the most. Crawford was
guilty Of disofdsrly conduct. In the
hrst instance. and that he was prompt
~ arrested for this misconduct. Then,
when he had been released under
bond. he was attacked by a number
OF angry men. ,snd then. in the heat
and passion Of the moment. he struck
one Of his assailants with hammer,
innicting serious injury. This was,
at the, most. only an assault and bat
tery with intent 70 kill. and those who
attacked Crawford were guilty of the
Ams offence. The negro was COM
mitted to jail to be held to answer for
his infraction Of the law, and he was
taken thence by a mob and put to
death In cruel and savage manner.
AccePaing TO the reports Crawford
had done nothing warrating the i'm
position Of the d'sath penalty by due
process Of law and the mob that kill
Cd him not only exhibited gross dis
respect for law. hut committed mur-
der. Crawford may have been bad
ngro. but he had committed no crime
that. by any stretch OF the imagina-
ton. could excuse this action OF the
mob. II Crawford was guilty OF any
crime meriting punishment he could
have been left with all confidence and
safety to the courts for trial and pun.
ishment. There existed no ground for
belief that there would be a miscarri.
age OF justice and that the courts
would let him escape unpunished. n
the evidence established his guilt
Therefore there was no excuse for the
people resorting to mob law. Now
an sequel to the uniawful'killing OF
Crawford In the passion of the mo.
ment the mob spirit has gone a ster
further and crawford's family. who
had no part In the disturbance thai
led up to the iynohing. have been or,
dered to leave kbbeville county. This
In a way. In as lawless and subver,
sive Of good government as the lynch