The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1922-01-27
Excerpt From Hon. John E.
Rankin's Speech Opposing
Anti-Lynching Bill

The anti-lynching bill, intro
duced by congressman of con
tracted mentality and yenomOus
prejudice, misrepresenting one of
the districts in Missouri. was ar
gued pro and con in the lower
house of congress last week. The
bill is among the most perni-
cious. invading the rights of states
and their police powers. of any
that has been attempted since
the civil war. The purport OF
the bill is TO reward crime by
penalizing counties where lynch
ings occur, forcing them TO pay
$40 900 TO the heirs of the fiend
who might be lynched for the
commission of rape or other hei-
nous crimes.
The measure is the most de-
spicable and is founded in the
most debaSed conception of the
moral principle of any bill that
was ever attempted to befoul
the statute books of the nation.
Among the speeches made in
opposition to the iniquitous bill.
two were made by Mississippi
congressman. The one made by
Hon. Ross A. Collins of the Me-
ridian district is exceptionally
strong and is a great credit 10 him
as a constitutional lawyer in
point of argument. Hon. John
E. Rankin of the First Mississippi
district also made speech in op-
position to the bill, in which he
pointed out that legislation will
not cure the rape evil rife among
the Negroes of the country, and
stated that the only solution TO
this and all other phases of the
race question is a segregation of
the races. Mr.. Rankin's speech
deserves to be published IN every
newspaper of this country, but
limited space permits us TO pub
liSh only the excerpt below:
There ought to be law in every
state In the union prohibiting in
between the races. and
they ought to be separated in all
governmental activities, in the navy,
in the army, in schools. and on
street cars. railroad trains and other
common carriers. In those states
where they have not enough Ne
groes to Justify the railroads in car
rying an extra coach, there ought
to be a separate section set aside
for them, or a separate section set
aside for the white people.
There ought to be. and there must
be, before this question is settled, a
law in every state, sep
arating whites and Negroes in the
sections of cities, towns
and municipalities. In the south
we have done that. We are segre
gated by a common understanding.
The Negro abides by it. for he
knows it is best for himself as we'll
as for the white man.
In the north you will be driven
to this salutary recourse within the
very near future. and the sooner
you wake up and adopt it the better
it will be for all concerned One
white woman in Indianapolis. Ind,
writing on the subject. says:
Civic organizations have sprung
up all over indianapolis formed for
the purpose of self protection against
the Negro element. who are invad-
ing the white residence sections and |
thereby running the value of real
estate for blocks around"
This is one of the great menaces
with which you people are going to
have to deal, and the longer you
postpone the day of reckoning the
more violent will be the readjust-
ment, which is Just as sure to come
as the night follows the day.
In order to reach this solution, it
may be necessary to repeal the fif-
teenth and modify the fourteenth
to the constitution of
the United States or adopt new
amendment giving the states the
necessary power before these changes
can be brought about. If such
change in our fundamental law is
necessary to reach a righteous ad.
ustment OF the oyershadowing issue
Of the age, then let Us hasten to
make the change. II
Mr. Chairman t have M apfip. |