olice protection in the rural districts. In the city
policeman, then, we have an opportunity to study the output of
the system of repression at its highest level. Policemen are
often the most unbearable of tyrants, arresting Negroes upon
the most flimsy charges, and refusing to tolerate a word of
explanation. It is actually a capital offense for a Negro to
run from a policeman, however trivial the charge upon which he
has been arrested.

"In Almaville, which represents the South at its highest point
of civilization, policemen have wantonly shot to death Negro
after Negro for seeking to elude arrest.

"The following article which we reproduce from one of America's
most reputable journals, will speak for itself.

"'How lightly the wanton killing of a Negro has come to be
regarded in some Southern communities is brought out by an
incident of the week at Memphis, which hardly needs comment. An
inoffensive Negro was hawking chickens about the street,
when ----, who was not in uniform at the time, jumped to the
conclusion that the chickens had been stolen, and arrested the
man. While he went to put on his uniform he left his prisoner
in custody of a nearby grocer, rightly named ----, to whom he
handed his pistol, with the offhand injunction, 'If he tries to
get away from you, kill him.' ----'s assertion that the Negro
made a break for liberty is disputed by the testimony of
bystanders, but at all events he fired on the Negro, wounding
him so severely that he died the next morning. 'Well, you got
him, didn't you?' said ---- on his return. 'If I didn't, I
almost,' answered ---- with a smile. The policeman's only
statement in palliation of the unprovoked killing was that the
deputy to whom he delegated his authority had 'taken his
instructions literally.' The most shocking feature of the
affair is that ---- has not been arrested, and the policeman is
apparently to continue on his beat. The 'Commercial-Appeal' may
well exclaim in bitterness, 'Life in this community is cheap;
the life of a Negro is so valueless that it is freely taken
without fear of future punishment in this world.'

"The question may be asked as to whether there are provisions
for redress against police outrages. There are courts and
commissions that may be appealed to,