The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, October 17, 1906, Image 3
SEEING THE LIGHT.
A Northern Editor's Views of the
9 Race Problem In the South.
In the Bellman, a weekly magazine
published in Minneapolis, the sub?
joined editorial appeared September
29. It is such a clear cut dispas?
sionate and common sense analysis of
the negro problem, that we feel that
it is worthy of reproduction for the
purpose of showing that the northern
people are at least beginning to see
the light: x
The fearful occurrences in Atlanta,
Ga., which have horrified readers of
the daily press may weil give us of
the North a shock. We deserve it
and we need it to awaken us to a
relization of our responsibilities to
our brethren -of the South. A race
war, undertaken on the part of the
whites in sacred defense of their
homes, or an unlawful outbreak in
which the innocent and guilty of one
. race were alike sacrificed to the mad?
dened vengeance of another; con?
sider it either way, as you will; de?
nounce it or excuse it; find palliation
in the greatest of provocations hu?
manity can know or condemn the
perpetrators a? outrageous law break?
ers, you cannot avoid the awful fact
that the condition which is respon?
sible for it exists.and must be reckon?
ed with.
This dreadful problem presses for
a permanent solution. The con" i
elusion of the rebellion demonstrated
once and for all that this was a Na?
tion. Being such, its component
parts must share responsibility for
the maintenance of order and justice
within its borders." If the protection
of women is not the supreme duty
of the American citizen,' wh?ISt?r he
lives north or south of Mason and
Dixon's line, then our country no
longer deserves to rank among civi?
lized nations.. If it is, then it is time
that the citizen of the North ceased !
ta consider the problem of the South !
as an academic question to be discuss- !
ed calmly and regretfully at a safe.;
distance from the scene of horror^
and shame. It is his duty to come j
forward, manfully, and acknowledge1
his share of the blame and* ??s?me ]
his part of the burden. k
The North is even more responsible
for this overshadowing horror than
the South. Let it face the facts as
they are and cease this sloppy, sen?
timental talk about the elevation of
the negro race and the need of self
control on the part of the southern
Caucasian. Ethical considerations,
fine spun theories, philanthropical de?
vices for a gradual elevation of the
negro are not entitled to a moment's
consideration when it is true that no
white woman living in the South is
safe for a moment unless guarded by
the gun.
The North freed these negroes. It
elevated them to citizenship and pro"
claimed them the possessors of equal
rights with the whies. Previous to
the war, slavery, accused though it
was, held them in subjection and re?
strained the brutes among them, and
they were macy, from violence. Care"
less of consequences, the North let
them loose and encouraged them to
believe themselves equal in every?
thing to their former masters. After
a brief interregnum of carpet-bag
government, the conquerors retired to
their safe, pure, protected homes,
secure in the knowledge that the law
was amply strong to protect them
from assault and their womer, from
dishonor. They washed their hands
of responsibility; they left to the
impoverished, defeated, disheartened
South the task of making the newly
freed worthy of citizenship.
Since then the North has contrib?
uted largely of money to educate the
negro. It has sent northern teachers,
devoted, self-sacrificing, well-mean?
ing persons, full of zeal to lift the
once oppressed race to a higher
plane. It has sympathized with and
supported every scheme devised to
benefit the negro and has lauded to
the highest skies every effort to cre?
ate in him social, political and finan?
cial aspirations. To the protests of
the white men of t?e South who knew
the negro and had to live with him,
that the methods chosen were wrong
and mischivous and would surely re
Ta
suit in disaster, the people of thv^
North turned a deaf ear.
The Southern white man's exact
knowledge, of conditions was discred?
ited, his advice scorned, his warn?
ings unheeded. Although he had
demonstrated repeatedly his fidelity
to the restored Union and had shown
his willingness to serve his country in
the field when the emergency arose,
he was deemed unworthy of. confi?
dence in questions affecting the ne
grro. He was void to observe the law,
when the law was unable to save him
or. what was a thousand times more
important, to save the dearest thing
on earth to him-his women. He was
told to contain himself, to be patient
and await the results of long-distance
northern theorizing.
Meantime he was surrounded hy a
dense mass of ignorant negroes fast
forgetting what little of self-control
had been inherited from a former
generation which had been trained
to respect the white man and honour
the white woman and rapidly return?
ing to a state of brutal savagery, ev
ery day degenerating, as a' w
morally, and becoming an incret
menace to civilization. Upon
vicious, ignorant, debased horde,
puny schemes of race elevation .
as snowflakes falling into the seet
ocean.' Still the southern whites
tested, warned and implored,
northern sentimentality was p
agaist the natural appeals of i
the ties of kinship and the dictate
nature.
Now it has at length come to
that the deluge has broken and
problem, long in the brewing of
; malign fat tors, must be effects
! settled not alone by the South
? the North as well. We have
! enough of theorizing, tempori2
j philosophizing, it's time to act. No
! ern people are not generally awar
i the fact, but it is nevertheless t
j that the state of the mass of neg
j in the South is so debased, so uttc
hopelessly, fearfully lacking in m
conceptions that there exists
many southern states a condi
which ?his or any other respects
journaf^rould not dare describe
cept in the most general terms,
loathsome and shocking would
details be if truly and plainly stato
White women and children are
safe, they can not walk unguarded
the streets of the cities even in
time. At night, doors must
locked and windows barred, the
volver must be ready at hand, if
black assailant is to be kept out.
many portions of the Black Belt,
family of the white man lives ii
constant state of seige; a fate wc
than death awaits the members
they dare relax their vigilance for
hour Northern people do not kn
the truth and their journals are
enlightening them. The South,
very shame, is loth to let facts
known, but a residence of even a ?
weeks in any portion of the conn
where the ignorant negro populat:
is congested will convince the rn
sceptical - that this hideous danger
always imminent and very real.
. ? Thea cdrne of stealing is the v<
?east^?f?th^ negro's offenses agai:
southern society The whites of 1
South have long since ceased to <
peet that he will respect the rig!
of propety. Larceny is looked up
as a joke As well might one exp<
the leopard to change his spots,
the southern negro to refr?in fr(
stealing. It is possible to prot<
against this comparatively minor <
fense; it is the hideous crimes, t
unspeakable horrors that are the ri
menace. Against these the, law
powerless, because it recognizes
punishment adequate to the offens
it can devise nothing that will pr
vent its recurrence and the hat
done is irreparable.
Ordinary punishment, adequate
the North to check crime, fails e
tirely in the South to restrain tl
negro even from the commission
minor misdemeanors. The disgra
of imprisonment does not touch hi]
es a rule. In many southern towr
when cold weather approaches ai
the shiftless and improvident blaci
feel its chill, numbers of them d
liberately and openly commit theft
order to be arrested, convicted ar
sentenced to the penitentiary durir
the winter months, there to be mai]
tained in comparative comfort at tl
State's expense until spring return
When, once again at liberty, the
come back, they are met at the trai
by their neighbors, relatives an
friends and escorted in triumph 1
their lurking place* as if they wei
heroes returning from an honorabl
undertaking,' instead of idle, viciou
debased criminals let loose from jai
The fear of immediate and dread
ful death is powerless to control th
brutal, degenerated negro when hi
passions are aroused. His mind is to
feeble and shallow to consider th
consequences of his crime and th
brute in him, once awakened, reckon
nothing whatever of future punish
ment. The force of example, even L
its most terrifying form when frenziei
mobs wreak vengeance in, burning
and sickening torture, does not im
press itself upon this class for mon
than a very brief time. Its intellec
is so inferior and its imagination s<
utterly diseased that the effect o:
such horrid spectacles soon wear off
This nati -nal cancer is a revolting
hideous subject. One is loth tc
speaK of it in clean type on unpol?
luted paper, lest its contemplation
should breed pestilence, but. if it is
ever to be cut out, it must be realized
and considered in all its horror, es?
pecially by northern people who have
too long shut their eyes to the truth.
The South understands it and the bet?
ter classes of whites, to whom our
sympathy and aid snould be exten'
ded in the fullest measure, know
further that, besides the vicious ne?
gro, they have with them a large
element of ignorant, violent intem?
perate white people for whose crude
and revolting execution of lynch law
they arti held responsil '.- by the
world.
It is time for the-North to bear a
hand in the solution <>f the problem
it has liberally shared in creating. It
can do so by ceasing to exploit the
negn? as the white man's equal. It
can do so by considering the mass of
negroes in the South as they are, not
: as sentimentalists represent them to
be. It can do so by discontinuing its
senseless, fruitless attempt at higher
cultivation of the negro. As long as
the vast majority of the race in the
South remains as it is, the strong
arm of white control must be
strengthened and encouraged to ex?
ert itself.
The negro must be taught the rudi?
mentary virtues he has forgotten be?
fore he can aspire to a higher educa?
tion. He must be made to obey, ab?
solutely. He must be compelled to
restrain himself. He must fear and
respect the law and he must be made
to understand that if he dares so
much as think wrongfully of a white
woman he will deserve death and at
the slightest indication of an intent
to commit wrong, he will receive it.
The North can do its duty by first
understanding the condition as it is
and then uniting with the Caucasian
of the South, in knowledge of and
sympathy with his situation, to devise
proper, adequate and permanent re?
lief.
What is now needed is less senti?
ment and more common sense on the
part of the North. All the money it
has tc devote to humanitarian pur?
poses and all the sympathy and sup?
port it can summon should, in this
grave emergency which threatens
North and South alike, be placed, un?
reservedly and in the fullest confi?
dence, back the better class of white
people in the South who alone are
possessed of a full comprehension of
the true situation and who alone are
competent to deal with it adequately
and justly. *
A Neglected Gold Mine.
The Charlotte Chronicle notes that
Columbia butchers tell the Columbia
Reocrd that the people of that state
are quite independent of the beef
trust, so far as the quality and price
of beef are concerned. The Record
thinks that conditions ought to be
that way but doubts whether the
situation is to roseate as the words
of the butchers might indicate. "There
has been a 'large and gratifying ex?
pansion in the cattle raising industry
in this state," the Record says, "but
the. supply by no means meets the
demand. There is room for much
wider expansion, and it is hoped that
farmers will realize this and enter
the business which will prove a sure
j money-maker. Big packing houses
j ship cold storage beef from Columbia
alone, to various parts of the state,
amounting to hundreds of thousands
of dollars annually. Exer/ cent in
that business coula oe home capital |
cirulating at home."
The Chronicle adds this:
"The neglect of the rich opportuni?
ties of cattle raising in this section
of the South is one of the conditions
that is hard to explain. There axe
portions-and large portions at that
of cattle grazing lands in North and
South Carolina .that are the equal of
the best grazing lands' in the West.
In respect to an abundant and pure
supply of water, they are batter. We
could name three counties in the
western part of North Carolina that
could keep every beef market within
the limits of the state supplied the
year round, Iredell and Caldwell
counties have been paying some at?
tention lately to raising cattle for the
market. The time is coming when
this long neglected industry will be?
come an important element in the
prosperity of the south."
Our esteemed Charlotte contempor?
ary is quite correct. There is no
j excuse for North Carolina's buying
a pound of beef produced outside of
the state. Some of the finest beef
cattle we ever saw were raised* in
the savannahs, hammocks, and cane?
brakes of eastern North Carolina.
By the way, a few weeks ago we
saw two carloads of fine cattle load?
ed in a South Carolina town for con?
sumption in Charlotte. It was a sight
to make us envious of Charlotte,
when we remembered how sufficient
used to be the home raised beef that
formerly came to Wilmington from
Sampson and other counties-now a
thing of the past.
The Charlotte Chronicle says the
failure to raise cattle is "A Neglected
Gold Mine." That is true. Tho busi*
ness was never more profitable than
at present.-Wilmington Star.
$100 Reward, $100.
The readers of this paper will be
pleased to learn that there is at least
one dreaded disease that science has
been able to cure in all its stages, and
that is Catarrh. Hall's Catarrh Cure
is the only positive cure known to the,
medical fraternity. Catarrh being a
constitutional disease, requires a c<-n- I
stitutional treatment. Hall's Catarrh
Cure is taken internally, acting di?
rectly upon the blood and mucous
surfaces of the system, thereby de?
stroying the foundation of the disease
and giving the patient strength by
building up the constitution and as?
sisting nature in doing its work. The
proprietors have so much faith in its
curative powers that they offer One
Hundred Dollors for any case that it
fails to cure. .Send for testimonials.
Address:
F. J. Cheney & Co., Toledo, O.
Sold by Druggists, 7Gc.
Take Hall's Family Pills for con?
stipation. 9-18-lm.
LETTER AS TO SCHOOL BOOKS.
State Superintendent of Education
3Iartin Issues Instructions About
Exchanges.
Columbia, S. C., Oct. 10.-State
Superintendent of Education Martin
has issued a circular letter of in?
struction to county superintendents
of education, calling attention to sec?
tions of the text book contract. The
letter is as follows:
My Dear Sir: Allow me to call
your attention to sections 5 and 10 of
the text book contract. The publish"
ers agree to take all text books of any
series, or of any edition, in the hands
of pupils in exchange. The only re?
striction is that the book must have
been in use during the year 1906, and
of course it muse be of like grade
and upon the same subject as the one
for which it is given in part payment.
This means, of course, that books
which are in use ir. the city schools
may be exchanged. The retail and
exchange prices printed in our bulle?
tin of 16 pages are official.
A careful reading cf the contract
and .other matter in thc bulletin will
enable you to answer almost any
question which may arise.
I hope that you will exercise super?
vision over the subdepositories, and
see that they understand the contract
Sincerely yours,
O. B. Martin,
State Supt. Education.
NEGRO LYNCHED BY NEGROES.
The Victim Was Accused of Criminal
Assault on a Negro Girl.
Dallas, Tex.,. Oct. 10.-Anthony
Davis, a negro, was lynched by ne?
groes at Texarkana last night. He
had been arrested and bailed out of
jail on a charge of assaulting a six
teen year old negro girl. A mob of
negroes caught him and strangled
him to death with a rope by dragging
him about , the negro settlemr-its.
Blood Poisoning
* Results from chronic canstipation
which is quickly cured by Dr. King's
New Life Pills. They remove all
poisonous germs from the system and
Infuse new life and vigor; cure sour
stomach, nausea, headache, dizziness
and colic, without griping or dis?
comfort. 25c. Guarantedd by Si
bert's Drug Store. i
Rev. Vernon rAnson, of Columbia,
has accepted the pastorate of a
church in Norfolk, Va.
*True and tried friends of the fam?
ily-Dewitt's Little Early Risers.
Best for results and best to take.
Rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes fol?
low the use of these dependable little
pills. They do not gripe or sicken.
Sold by all druggists.
i
Mr. W. H. Seale was operated on
at the Richmond, Va. Hospital on
I Monday afternoon at 4 o'clock, and
I at. last accounts was geting on as well
as could be expected. The operation
was rendered necessary by a re-ap?
pearance of the sarre diseased con?
dition of the bone of one leg for the
relief of which he was operated on
some months ago.
A Young Motlier at 70.
"*My mother has suddenly been
made young at 70. Twenty years of
intense suffering from dyspepsia had
entirely disabled her until six months
ago, when she began taking Electric
Bitters, which have completely cured
and restored the strength and ac?
tivity she had in the prime of life,"
writes Mrs. L. W. Gilpatrick, of Dan
forth. Me. Greatest restorative medi?
cine on the globe. Sets Stomach, Liv?
er and Kidneys right, purifies the
blood, and cures Malaria, Biliousness
and Weakness. Wonderful Nerve
Tonic. Price 50c. Guarantedd by
Sibert's Drug Store.
"ACT QUICKLY:
Delay Has Been Dangerous
in Sumter. '
i
?
Do the right thing at the right time.
Act quickly in time of danger.
Back? che is kidney danger.
Doan's Kidney Pills act quickly.
Cure all distressing, dangerous kidney
ills.
Plenty of evidence to prove this.
Elias Hudgins, gardener and farmer, well
known in Sumter and vicinity, says: "1 suf?
fered for eight, or ten years from lumbago in
my back so bad that I could not get out of
bed at times. There was no strengt h in my
back and it ached constantly. When I mov?
ed around a kink would strike me right
across the small of my tack just like someone
striking a knife into it. The secretions from
the kidneys were dark colored, smelled strong
and contained a sediment la-sides causing me
to get up several times during the night. I
could not begin to tell you the number of
remedies 1 used bat not lung did me much
good until t procured I><>an > Kidney Pills at
Dr. A. J. China's drug store. The first few
doses helped me and since inking thc remedy
I have not had any trouble with my kidneys
andthe pains disappeared from my hack.
You are welcome to the use of my name 'as
one who can endorse what is claimed for this
remedy."
For sal?- by all dealers. Price 50 cents.
Foster-Mil burn <"<>.. Buffalo. New York, sole
agents for the Cnited States.
Remember the name Doan's-and t ake no
other.
TS???*T?!tiill|iniiHH?nHlttllinHIHIIIHIIinHIHHIIflllllliillil!iii.
9 o? DROPS
A^getablePrcpara?onfbr As?
similating ibeToodandRegula
ting th&S&in?chs andBowds of
IMAMS (HILDRKX
Err^tesT^sHoaChccrfuI
ness?ndE?stGoatairisDEi?ter
Ormim^Moiplriit? nor Ifia?iaL
?OT NARCOTIC.
Bcape rf Old Ifr&MlZEL?UL?iM
JtcSmnm*
JhJu&SJtf
A perfect fiemedy for Constipa?
tion, Sour Stomach,Diarrhoea,
W(HTns,Conviu^ionsJcverish
?ts? and Loss OF SUIEE
fae Sunk Signature ot
NEW YORK._
Atb monlUs old
j5B0sr.s-33CE.Srs
EXACT COFTOFWAPFEB.
For Infants and Children,
The Kind You Have
Always Bought
Bears the
lit
Use
For Over
Thirty Years
Ti 1E CENTAUR COMPANY. KEW TONK CITY.
IVED
Another Car Load of
s
AND
Booth Live Stock Co.
iRing up No. 30-That's the Daily Item's Telephone number
when you want to place an advertisement that will bring results.
W. A. BOWMAN, Pres. ABE RYTTENBERG, V. Pres
P. G. BOWMAN, Sec. & Treas.
The Sumter Banking
& Mercantile Company,
Siam tex*. S. C.
?^s#g#?^CapitaI Stock $50,000**^3*3?**
Wholesale Grocers, Fertiliz?
ers and Farmers' Supplies.
Sole agents for the celebrated brand of Wil?
cox & Gibbs Fertilizers.
Weare prepared to quote the very closest
cash or time prices on au lines of
Groceries, Fertilizers and Farmers*
Supplies,
And invite your investigation before makins
your arrangements for another year.
Cometo see us. We will save you money^
and give you a hearty, courteous welcome.
Sumter Banking I
pantile Company,
Masonic Building, 2d door from the Postoffice.
Sumter, S. C.
KU ADVERTISEMENT PLACED IN THE ADVERTISING
COLUMNS OF THE DAILY ITEM WILL BRING RESULST? ,