Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-04-19
EDITORIAL
SCHLEYs COUNTY AND TWO
VIEWS

IT is interesting to note the effect
in varying places and on different
minds of the same events. Take for
instance the recent conviction OF
three men in Schley county of felon-
les for participating in an attack
upon a harmless negro citizen which
later led to his lynching. The Times
Recorder considered the result in this
case wholesome and valuable as vie
tory against great odds for law and
order. The Atlanta Georgian takes
similar view. But the Columbus
Enquirer-Sun sees a great menace IN
the Schley county verdict. We be-
lieve the Columbus opinion rather IN
tolerant; certainly it disregarded the
fact that the men accused were not
actually members of the lynchlng
party and that their offense, while
the beginning of the trouble, was
not the actual murder of the negro
constituting distinction, possibly,
rather than difference.
Commenting on the Schley case the
Atlanta Georgian says:
Slowly perhaps, but surely with
out doubt, the straight-thlnklng,
highminded, courageous citizenship
of Georgia-which this paper holds
and ever has held to be in the great
majority-is awakening to the fact
that the horrible and wholly I'M
worthy crime of lynching CAN be
stopped; that it can be stopped by
an aroused and militant public
spirit, not afraid to deal with a
lyncher as he deserves to be dealt
with. There is, of course, much
ground yet to be covered in this
regard; but undoubtedly We ARE
making progress.
Not long ago, barbarous and
frightful lynching took place in
Schley county, which was duly and
properly chronicled in the newspa-
pers. In due course, the grand
jury of that county had the cour-
age-and we use the word advised
ly-to indiet eight men for partici-
patton in that crime; three of them
were brought to trial, five of them
fled the county and are now at
large. A few days ago, the three
indicted were onvicted-convict-
ed weakly enough, we must admit,
Of Shooting at another" (rather
than of murder or being accessory
to murder) and recommended to
the mercy of the court, which rec
concentration, if accepted by the
court, would have reduced the
charge to a thousand dollars or
twelve months Imprisonment in the
chain gang Tor both) as the court
might decide.
That was not a great deal, to be
sure; but, at least, it was finding
the men GUILTY, which gave
Judge z. A. Littlejohn an oppor-
tunity to demonstrate HIS high
sense of duty in the circumstances.
The Judge-who, by the way, is adj
mlttedly one of the ablest Superior
court judges in the state, having
served with great distinction for
more than quarter of century
very promptly DECLINED to ac-
cept the jury's recommendation as
to the punishment, but accepted
without hesitation the jury's YER
dlct OF guilty. he sentenced the
defendants 70 term of four wears
III the penitentiary-as for a fell
ony, which was the degree of
charge set forth IN the Indictment.
IN commenting most temporarily
and lntelligently upon this matter
the Americas Times-Recorder. a
daily newspaper in the vicinity of
me CRIME, IN respect of the matter
said this: -''''''ei
mere follows reprint of an edi-
torial commencing Judge Littleiohn
appearing in this paper last week,
and the Georgian then resumes:
Citizens of Schley county do not
relish the stain put upon their
county by lynching any more than
the vast majority of the people of
the other counties in this state
relish it. But, in too MANY coun-
ties, lawless minorities HAVE for
many years been permitted to ride
at times rough-shod over the re-
spectacle majority. And apparent
ly the day is at hand in Georgia
when that sort of thing is going
to end
All that is needed is for grand
juries to arise-as did the Schley
county grand jury-to the duty of
INJECTING lynchers; for the
iuries to arise to the duty of CON
VICTING them and for the Judge
to arise to the duty of SENTENC-
ING them.
ONCE THE FEAR OF THE
LAW is PUT SURELY INTO THE
HEART OF A COWARDLY
LYNCHER, HE SINKS AWAY
AND DISAPPEARS FOREVER
SINKS AWAY AS COWARDLY
BEASTS OF THE NIGHT STINK
AWAY BEFORE THE RISING
OF THE MORNING SUN.
And now we have the Columbus