The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-04-06
HI.rlMED AND MEDDLEsoME

!. ILL.TlMED AND MEDDLESoME
!, Over in Georgia a wealthy planter
is on trial charged with murder. Like
; q great many farmers who operate on
a, large scale this farmer was accus-
toned to take negroes charged with
crime out of Jail and work them pend
ing trial. And it is charged that, like
farmers in other sections, he found
one excuse ands then another to keep
these negroes on the farm and from
attending court and standing trial.
Out of his practices grew charges OF
peonage. ysn.. -,
Following these charges, preferred
by the Federal authorities in Geor-
sia it is also charged that wholesale
slaughter of negroes took place,
every negro who it was thought would
.givestestimony against the defendant
being murdered either by Williams or
by his orders. So far eleven bodies
have been recovered which it is charg-
ed are the bodies Of his victims.
Following these discoveries, all Of
which were made by the proper Of
ficers of the state of Georgia, the
Governor and other, officials of the
state, and Federal officials of that
state, whose duty it is to investigate
matters there and to prosecute cases
arising in their jurisdiction, COM
menced vigorously to investigate the
matter; and also commenced prosecu-
tons against all parties alleged to be
connected with the unlawful practices
on the farm in question, as well as Of
all persons charged with murder.
This is we'll, and We have no doubt
that the case will be properly prose
cuted and the evidence available will
be produced. The. people Of Georgia,
so far as the prosecuting officers are
! concerned at least, will do their duty
They may be trusted to do that. But
while the public is awaiting the re-
suit, an organization of the North
styling itself some kind Of society
or organization for the advancement
of colored people, steps in and is
sues statement Of the question and
I otherwise undertakes to meddle in
4 the matter, with no other result likely
: to, come from such acts Of. its officers
than for the people of Georgia to be
come prejudiced against the negro
witnesses in the case. They contribute
nothing to the evidence. Instead OF
advancing the interests Of the color
ed people in Georgia by Quitting
3 into this case, which is already in the
hands of the proper officers, this or
ganization is really assisting in ad-
!, vancing the acquittal of Williams,
the man charged with crime, because
if it can get to the jury that North
ern negro lovers, who have too often
meddled in matters in the South, in
stead of sweeping around their own
door-steps, are at the bottom of the
prosecution of Williams, it will great
ly tend to infame the public mind in
his favor and materially assist him
in his case. If the officers of the
Northern society have enough sense
to run any kind of an organization
they should know this.
And people generally should know
that every locality must run its own
affairs. We may deplore Iawlessness
here and there, but We may not hope
to punish it except when the officers
of 1.-The locality, do their duty
and when the people of the particular
locality demand the punishment of
crime. The intermeddling by outsid-
ers, especially as in this case, where
the officers have already gotten the
evidence and have already prosecut-
ed is i'll timed and nothing short of
being criminally meddlesome. The
Northern society might do well to
look after the thieves and thugs which
are infesting the cities of the North,
killing men in the open day in their
own places of business, and robbing
and killing people on the streets of
the greatest city in the country, and
leave the people of Georgia to take