The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-09-09
EDITORIALS

Confession may be good for the
soul, but it certainly could do Maui
rice Mays no good. Mays was cleo
trocuted about five years ago on the
charge of killing BERTHE Lindsey, a
white woman of Knoxville, Tenn. A
few days ago white woman showed
up in Norton, Va, and confessed that
she killed Mrs. Lindsey, explaining
that her conscience would no longer
let her hold the secret.
The one big thought with refer
ence to the death of Mays and the
confession of Sadie Mendil is-how
often has justice miscarried in Amer
lea in cases involving white and col
ored people. How many cases of an
innocent Negro executed by the law
in this country for the crime of some
white person-how many such cases
the Recording Angel must have!
The electrocution of Mays as the
slayer of Lindsey when white wom-
an was guilty gives truth to the sus-
picions and declarations of Negroes
held and made persistently for years.
Often times both the white and the
colored people have known that the
black victim was innocent, but the
whites would do nothing, the black
could not, and the guilty white per-
son. unlike Mrs. Sadie Mendil, never
confessed.
By this time such case as Mays
should be softening the conscience of
America. The ability of white crimi-
nails tc get by with crime at the ex-
pense of unfortunate Negroes is in
deed a bad thing for white people.
When an innocent black has died for
guilty white it matters not how
shockingly, the law has not been sat
isfied. the crime has not been ex-
plated.
Mays died pleading his innocence;
Mrs. Mendil now comes confessing
her guilt. By all the principles of jus
tice and despite all the technicalities
of man-made law the Mays-Lindsey
case is yet open.
There is a great deal of talk about
colored people being ashamed of
themselves. That is to say, people
of color are accused of not having
anv inherent pride.
That isn't so. Colored people are
not ashamed, nor sensitive, of being
colored; they are simply sensitive as
to the injustices that go with being
the same. That is perfectly natur.
! al, though not a sensible thing.
Take the Hebrew for instance. He
is not ashamed of being a Jew for
the most part. He is sensitive in
some things, but in the ordinary
| things he has no racial feeling what
/ l. =.
restaurant without consciousness that
he is one of a reviled minority. He
does similarly in most public places.
Why is this? Because the Jew,
though disliked, knows that his bust
ness intrenchment fortifies him as to
his rights. As long as he gets his
rights he doesn't care whether he gets
them as Jew or gentle.
That's true of all people, colored
included. Treat them fairly and they
forget that there are differences of
race. Money, business, commerce
will force this fairness. Then the
problem is solved.
One thing that is strange is the
way in which the average Caucasian
is received anywhere in his own
country. If he happens to fall within
the groove of the average appearing
person he is given attention, cour.
tesy and respect.
Why is this? Is it due simply to
the fact that he is a Caucasian? Ot
course not. For if the average mar
were known at his true average
worth in many instances he would
be given very short consideration.
But here is the thing about the
Caucasian: He runs the nation. Hi.
opportunity is limited only by hi.
ability. His son may be raised ON 9
farm and yet become president. His
father might ayyear to be one of thu
ordinary mold and yet possess mil
lion. He can not be figured on. There
is no accurate guage to his wortl
that may be had from his appearance
He is the beneficiary of all tha
his successful brothers have mad,
for him. He is measured by the yard
stick that they have set up as ;
measure.
Of course, the colored citizen ha
no such assistance. IL is general,
known that colored people have littl,
business opportunity. Colored peopl
therefore are not regarded as having
much material wealth. And all ar
measured by that fact. But this i
changing-rapidly. Ard when col
ored people are known to control a
much wealth as the Jews they, too
! will fall heir to that general attitude
of respect that is given to those VIII,
represent power.