Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-19
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
\ CCORDING 10 the news
paper accounts. the lynch
ing of Negro in a little town
in northwestern Florida a few
nights ago was an episode which.
for. beStiality. could be matched
only in cultural exercises of, the
super-race of Adolf Hitler.
Suspected hut not yet form
ally accused of criminal assault
on white child, the victim was
roped 10 a tree. shot and left
for dead, but crawled to ref
uge and there was recaptured
by law officer.
He then apparently was sur
rendered without struggle 10
mob which finished him off.
Many areas of Florida arc
civilized only in a few outward
appearance ftii-thfe- state still
consists largely of frontier and
backwoods. and we deceive our.
selves by imagining that ofron-
tiersmen and backwoodSmen are
all brave. chivalrous characters.
The robbers and killers of the
old west. glamoriZed in song and
story out of all resemblance 10
their diseased and dirty criminal
character, were, in fact. no bet
ter than the common city gun
man or the -hackMnnds lAncher
Of today.
+ it,t'ttia-iS -arioirzetnt.
responsible and, thus far. incor-
riglble state. some Of whose
most respected political and
civic leaders in the urban areas
have frankly insisted that il is
necessary. the interests Of
progress and prosperity. 10 con-
nivc at CRIME and build on vice
and official corruption.
Il MOVING. for example. that
IA a gambling house can not
operate openly without the cor
rupt consent OF the local Off
Gals. many Of these leaders
hold, nevertheless. that if gam
bling were put down the tourist
would 60 elsewhere and business
would suffer.
In the crude back country the
conditions Of life are primitive.
and habitations may be seen
from the highway in which there
are neither panes nor screens TO
the windows, and cSeatures hav-
ing the physical a tearance OF
human beings live in such
Squalor as 10 revolt the very
bu2ZardS.
II is not TO Scold the people
or the state that such observa-
tons are made. but rather TO
indicate how il can be that white
men, claiming 10 be members Of
a superior breed cap so degrade
themselves and embarrass the
race in which they hold tech
4nieai membership, in an effort 70
impress their superiority on their
Negro neighbors.
| Only two years ago. in ono
)of the oldest and most sedate
cities Of the coast. community
whore wealth aboundS-and books
have been reported. Negro
taXiman ran down a white child
in a traffic accident and was
takOn from the hands Of the law
by relatives of the deceased and
shot under the laW-nf fight in
the presence Of a little party
Of shocked and frightened tour
lists.
TlIIS was duly listed as
Il lynching in the annual score,
whereas it was plainly a COM
mon. premeditaied murder
which could have been punished
by the death penalty If the
morality and the public opinion
"fIaSf@ txfSteaA" .."~."'' 'ts'~s'' '''aN
There is never any reason or.
excuse for the lynching Of a
Negro in Florida. and il must
be added that the worse the
crime the less the white man
need concern himself about a
miscarriage Of Justice. 49,.
In the most recent case the
prisoner would have got his
promptly and in full measure
had the law been allowed Ia
take its course. But the killers
doubtless were afraid that on
his trial the accused might prove
his innocence
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