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MURDER AND LYNCHING
When the Lee ^riali location controversy and its attending delays were at its height, another colored man cruelly shot in th^ back and murdered an aged 'and def ehseless white man. in Salisbury. A son, of/_the victim soon
arrived and shot and seriously wounded his father's assailant, who was removed to a locaf ho'spital. Thereafter an enraged and iinfuriated white "mob" publicly dragged, hung and burned the negro. '
PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITY
The responsible public leaders and authorities . of -a civilized and organized community are bound to condemn and prosecute such frenzied and unlawful conduct, without regard to the aggravating causes. The aggravating circumstances can be considered in the sentence of the Court.
But a noted section of the Eastern Shore press and public justly stressed the aggravating circumstances that incited the "mob" attack, and unjustly failed to condemn the wrongs of the "mob."
BALANCED CRITICISM
This attitude further aroused public opinion throughout the nation and brought about both balanced and unbalanced expressions about our Eastern Shore residents.
The balanced statements are those that condemn any lynching as an inexcusable crime against our Courts, our administration of public justice and civilization itself.
UNBALANCED CRITICISM
The unbalanced statements are to be found among the expressions and insinuations which charged that the people of the Eastern Shore are generally less law abiding, or Jes.-. ;ntelli-gent, or less kirtl than those of other sections of our state or nation.
EASTERN SHORE RESIDENTS
We have visitejj tne Eastern Shore on hundreds of occasions and have spent many days and even weeks in close association with every element of its population. A number of the members of our family have for many years resided and still reside on the Eastern Shore.
Our broad experience convinces us that the general intelligence and sense of kindness of the people of the Eastern Shore are readily equal to that of the people of any other section of our State.
WRONG ON RIGHT
Those who charge or insinuate otherwise, because of the reviewed occurrences, are heaping a wrong upon a wrong to sustain a right—the right to insist that lynching is a gross public wrong that should be condemned and punished.
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