The Red Record: Tabulated Statistics and Alleged Causes of Lynching in the United StatesWells-Barnett, Ida B.
History
The Red Record: Tabulated Statistics and Alleged Causes of Lynching in the United States
Wells-Barnett, Ida B.
African Americans -- History -- 1877-1964; Lynching -- United States; Lynching -- United States -- Statistics
Those interested in the development of the resources of the Southern
States, and no one in proportion to his means has shown more faith in
the progress of the South than the writer of this article, must take
hold of this matter earnestly and intelligently. Sneering at the
antilynching committee will do no good. Back of them, in fact, if not in
form, is the public opinion of Great Britain. Even the _Times_ cannot
deny this. It may not be generally known in the United States, but while
the Southern and some of the Northern newspapers are making a target of
Miss Wells, the young colored woman who started this English movement,
and cracking their jokes at the expense of Miss Florence Balgarnie, who,
as honorable secretary, conducts the committee's correspondence, the
strongest sort of sentiment is really at the back of the movement. Here
we have crystallized every phase of political opinion. Extreme Unionists
like the Duke of Argyll and advanced home rulers such as Justin
McCarthy; Thomas Burt, the labor leader; Herbert Burrows, the Socialist,
and Tom Mann, representing all phases of the Labor party, are
cooperating with conservatives like Sir T. Eldon Gorst. But the real
strength of this committee is not visible to the casual observer. As a
matter of fact it represents many of the leading and most powerful
British journals. A.E. Fletcher is editor of the _London Daily
Chronicle_; P.W. Clayden is prominent in the counsels of the _London
Daily News_; Professor James Stuart is Gladstone's great friend and
editor of the _London Star_, William Byles is editor and proprietor of
the _Bradford Observer_, Sir Hugh Gilzen Reid is a leading Birmingham
editor; in short, this committee has secured if not the leading editors,
certainly important and warm friends, representing the Manchester
Guardian, the _Leeds Mercury_, the _Plymouth Western News, Newcastle
Leader_, the _London Daily Graphic_, the _Westminster Gazette_, the
_London Echo_, a host of minor papers all over the kingdom, and
practically the entire religious press of the kingdom.
The greatest victory for the antilynchers comes this morning in the
publication in the _London Times_ of William Lloyd Garrison's letter.
This letter will have immense effect here. It may have been printed in
full in the United States, but nevertheless I will quote a paragraph
which will strengthen the antilynchers greatly in their crusade here:
A year ago the South derided and resented Northern protests; today it
listens, explains and apologizes for its uncovered cruelties. Surely a
great triumph for a little woman to accomplish! It is the power of truth
simply and unreservedly spoken, for her language was inadequate to
describe the horrors exposed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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