The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1919-04-12
April 10, 1919.
John r. Shillady. Secretary
National Association for Advance
ment Of Colored People.

April ~, 1919.
John R. Shillady. Secretary
National Association for Advance
ment Of Colored People.
Sir:
have your telegram, calling my
attention to the lynching of two Ne
groes in this state.
AS you doubtless know have ex-
erted every effort possible to keep
down lynching in this State. / was
not cognizant of the lynching at Mad
ison until saw an account Of it in
| the papers. In regard to the one at
Milton, was called up at midnight
and told about the crime committed
by this man and had him carried to
Pensacola and put In jail there; next
morning the Sheriff of Pensacola
called me up and staed that he was
not safe there and l ordered him taxi
en- to Montgomery and sent down to
Jacksonville for safekeeping, but
Sheriffff Harvel was overtaken and
the man punished by death at the
hands of an infuriated mob from
Santa Rose County.
You ask me to see that these
lynchers are brought to trial This
would be impossible TO do as condi-
tions are now in Florida, for when q
Negro brute, or a white man, ravishes
white woman in the State of Flor
ida, there is no use having the people
who SEQ that this man meets death
brought to trial, even If you could
find who they are; the citizenship
Twill not stand for It.
You state that the man in Mad
ison was burned to death and that II
adds to the horror of lynching am
disgraces not only this State but
the whole United States. Your race
is always harping on the disgrace
it brings to the State, by concourse
Of white people taking revenge for
the dishonoring Of white woman
when if you would spend one-hali
the time that you do, in giving maud
lin sympathy, to teaching your people
not to kill our white officers and dis
grace our white women, you would
keep down a thousand Tins greater
disgrace.
| / do not like the tone OF gour tel
egram at all, because you tactily
condemn the crime your people com.
mitted while you abuse our people
for resenting the wrong which your
race has done. / have tried to be
fair to your people at all times but
do not believe in such maudlin
sentiment as this. If any man, white
or black. should dishonOr one of my
| family he would meet my pistol
square from the shoulder. and every
! white man in this South, who is a
red blooded American, feeds the same
as do.
There, you had best, as you say
you are composed of 180 branches of
| $4,000 people IN 3S States, spend
some time in teaching the wanton,
reckless Negroes Of your race, who
wander from City to City, County TO
County and State to State, doing all
the devilment that they can. We do
not have any trouble from Negroes
who are settled, own thair homes,
have their own property, eattle and
horses, but it is the rowing, tfansient
irresponsible and unmarried element
Of tramp Negroes who bring all this
disgrace on the country.
/, as representative of one mil
lion people, both white and black
urge you to send out your missionar.
les and get your rGca to stop this
kind of wanton and d,sgraceful raw.
ishing of white people Of the South
or the Governors Of the South viii
not be able to keep the mobs down
which / have used every effort pos
sible to do in Florida.
Yours very truly,
(Signed) Sidney J. Cats,
Governor Of Florida