The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1917-07-11

%1t will rot do in considering the
East st. Louis tragedy for the south
rem people to cry tn quoque' to theil
northern neighbors.
We cannot justify the commission
u crime in the south by pointing To
the fact that the same crime is com.
mitted in the north.
The tragedy OF East st. Louis moi
only beshames that city and the State
of Illinois but is a disgrace to the
whole country.
1t shows how thin is the veneer Of
our civilization.
The forces of the law all over this
country have become attenuated.
Respect for the law is less than il
has ever been in the history of Amer
lea.
The ground sill of our government
al fabric was the, rule of the law. The
law written in our constitution was
the expression of the people as ia
their rights. their liberty and their
hopes.
The horror of the East st. Louis
situation is not in the death Of Il OF
% people. either white or black. but
in the anarchy that prevailed in that
city for more than SO hours.
The humiliating thing was the ina
bility Of the police and the militia to
take care of even themselves.
Internationally such outbreaks as
that at East st. Louis are as bad for
the United States now as the loss of
.sibattle.
1t will Immediately be told to the
liberty intoxicated people of Russia,
who are trying to find themselves,
that in the Wanted free country of
ANerica inoffensive people are mas
sacred.
The incident will be colored so as
to please the individual prejudice of
every class.
The reactionaries will be told that
America herself cannot enforce her
own laws.
The Socialists will be told that the
proletariat in this country has no
chance.
The rioters of Petrograd and Mos
COW will justify further rioting by
pointing to the rioting that is going
on in America.
This incident will be big peg on
which thousand different lies can be
hanged for the delectation of the I'M
informed. not only in Russia. but in
the other countries that are now
struggling to do away with autocracy
and have democratic rule.
Yea, verify, it will be seized upon
as a proof of the failure Of demo-
crazy.
If there ever was time when peo-
pie should go about their business in
these United States in an orderly
way, that time is now. Murder and
rapine not only strike at the individ-
ual victims. but each act just now is
stab at the central government.
Southern people see no justifica-
ton for the general race war that has
been on in East st. LOUIS.
-s+sAnd this brings us to the state
ment that radical prejudices are more
violent in the north than in the south
The southern man recognizes the
right of the negro to life, liberty and
Aoperty. In the matter oe property
'hhe southern white man recognizes
the right of the negro to labor in
whatsoever calling he wishes. The
southern man may not patronize the
negro in certain callings, but he does
not object to the negro exercising
that calling among his own people.
All that any man can expect is a
right to earn his bread in the sweat
of his face.
In the north when the negro begins
to be competitor in labor he is
fought through the instrument of ra-
cial hatred. and when this hatred is
aroused IT, is blind as to individuals.
There has been an exodus of ne