The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-06-17
TUESDAY, JUNE II, 1919.
A WHITE MANS COUNTRY.

Anent the recent killing of the
negro Mark Smith, white man was
heard to remark on the street today
that he believed that this, (meaning
Abbeville County and South Caro-
lina) was a white mans country, but
somehow they made sad mistakes IN
running it. .~,..-..-. ..~
It was the aim of our forefathers
when they settled America to make
it a white mans country, with. all
that the term implies, place where
they could live under the guidance OF
their own consciences, free, un-
trammelled and upright existence,
their own rights established and the
rights of others respected. Condi-
tions like that bred men, big men
pioneers in empire building, and
they build we'll. There were mis-
takes and imperfections, but the big
idea was right-unalterably right; it
was free country for free men, gov
erned by themselves. The imperfec-
tions are common to all the races of
men-ignorance, intolerance, selfish
ness and prejudice. Many of the i'm
perfections have been dissolved by
time, but few remain.
The outstanding mistake was made
in 1919, just three hundred years
ago, when the first negro slaves were
landed at Jamestown. Even at the
time there were those wise enough
10 see that it was a mistake, but the
negro fitted in we'll with conditions
then; the kind of labor he was able
to give was badly needed in the col
onies and soon slavery was firmly
established from New England to
Florida. The North was favored by
circumstances; slavery was found
improbable and was abolished.
: The Civil War abolished slavery in
the South, but left US with the negro,
ignorant, superstitious and british.
Negro domination threatened dur
ing the Reconstruction period. In
1876, when Hampton was elected
governor, it was the best element
among the white people that tri-
umphed. They were ably led, they
knew what they wanted and they
were seldom led to excuses. These
white men knew the negro, knew his
good qualities, knew his weakness
es-knew how to handle him. But
there was another element among
the white people that began to show
itself toward the end of the recon-
struction period. 1t was an element
chiefly identified by ignorance, a
kind of ignorance that tends to shift
lessness, leads to envy and holds to
the belief that it's rights are always
being trodden upon. This element is
common to all sections of our coun-
try and shows itself in I. w. W.-ism,
Bolshevism and terrorism of all
sorts. 1t is the fruits of ignorance
nothing else.
With US this element has given ex-
preston to the class spirit, which it
has developed, by terrorizing the ne
groes. The negroes ere not blame
less. They, too, are ignorant, but
they are more tractable, more easily
led and if rightly dealt with would
give little trouble. These outbursts
against the negro have have shown
themselves sporadically ever since
reconstruction days. True there
have been instances where the negro
has committed frightful crimes, but
in the main these have served only
to give thin excuse for the many
atrocities that have been meted out
to negroes for little reason at some
times, and no reason at other times.
At no time is mob rule justified
and in nine cases out of ten where it
has prevailed in the South there has
not only been no palliation for it,
but it has accomplished murder ,un-
der the most narrowing of circum-