those who were lynched from 1882 to 1891, the first ten years of the
tabulated lynching record, the charges are as follows:

Two hundred and sixty-nine were charged with rape; 253 with murder; 44
with robbery; 37 with incendiarism; 4 with burglary; 27 with race
prejudice; 13 quarreled with white men; 10 with making threats; 7 with
rioting; 5 with miscegenation; in 32 cases no reasons were given, the
victims were lynched on general principles.

During the past five years the record is as follows:

Of the 171 persons lynched in 1895 only 34 were charged with this crime.
In 1896, out of 131 persons who were lynched, only 34 were said to have
assaulted women. Of the 156 in 1897, only 32. In 1898, out of 127 persons
lynched, 24 were charged with the alleged "usual crime." In 1899, of the
107 lynchings, 16 were said to be for crimes against women. These figures,
of course, speak for themselves, and to the unprejudiced, fair-minded
person it is only necessary to read and study them in order to show that
the charge that the Negro is a moral outlaw is a false one, made for the
purpose of injuring the Negro's good name and to create public sentiment
against him.

If public sentiment were alive, as it should be upon the subject, it would
refuse to be longer hoodwinked, and the voice of conscience would refuse
to be stilled by these false statements. If the laws of the country were
obeyed and respected by the white men of the country who charge that the
Negro has no respect for law, these things could not be, for every
individual, no matter what the charge, would have a fair trial and an
opportunity to prove his guilt or innocence before a tribunal of law.