The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-10-02
A Singing Rebuke.

Mr.. Il. p. Br ook, the talented young
colored lawyer WHO edits the Richmond Vw-
ginto Star, has the following singing rebnke
for the demagogue who are endeavcring to
educate the negroes of Virginia into the be-
lief that they have no interest in maintaining
the public faith of Virginia or contributing
to meet the honest obligations of the State.
In the editorial columns of that paper of the
Goth, under the head of ''Taffy,'' he says:
1t would be difficult to mention more
absurd ST atement than that which seeks to
impress upon the colored people the notion
that the, should not bear any of the burdens
incident to the payment Of the public debt,
because they had no share or direct partci-
patton in creating it.. Whoever ventures
this ass ertion in the hearing of colored man,
presum es that he is II fool. or designedly ats
temptf to mislead him. 1t is true that when
larger portion of the debt was made our
race was in slavery, but it j. also true that
the objects for which the money was borrow
ed are enjoyed by us to-day. The Negro is
citizen of Virginia. lie Is liable to all the
burdens, and entitled to all the rights OF
other citizens. The protection of his person
and property, the police, the courts OF law,
the public schools, and every department OF
| the machinery OF government, are to be Sc
| cured, supported. and maintained by tile
State, of which he is member.
| Is it common sense to say that colOred
man should not pay taxes on his farm, his
house. his personal property. and his bust
nrss, because the money so paid goes to ex-
tinguish debt part of which was created
while he was slave?
This is the sophistry Of the -Readjusters.
| If the cOlored man is rot to bear his share OF
the burden as other citizens, what IN the
world is he to do? Must his property be ex-
empt from taxation? Must other people
build school-houses and pay teachers to ed
ucate his children, while he contributes not
dollar toward the great object? Really it
requires more than ordinary patience to dis
| cuss such an absurdty. The bare suggestion
| is an insult to the intelligence OF colored
men. 1t might as well be understood that
| these bald fallacies cannot be imposed OIL
| the Negroes of Virginia. There was a time
| when the de.usion Of forty acres q; mule
| found credence among our people, but we
have travelled long way from that point
now, and have no more gullibility to- expend
on impossibilities and wildcat enterprises.
| On this point the Readjusters are giving
us ''taffy" We beg to be excused.
In another paragraph the following ration
al deductions are presented from the E'remise
of those who are trying to delude the colored
people with the belief that they ha We no
interest in paying the public debt OF the
State
| THE CoLoRED people, say the Readju :ters,
had nothing to do with making the State
debt. and therefore they should not b., re-
quired to pay any OF it now. Granted. Dine
o: the Readjusters propose to reduce che
principal as well as the rate of interest on
the debt, and pay the residue. When it
comes to the payment OF that, the same l.
gument will hold good, and the colored pei, i
pie will refuse the payment OF anything 1t
all. If the argument means anything II
means pudiation-andre Reputation is theft.
The vlllany you teach NE, will execute.
| And again the same paper says:
| There are those who argue that Inc
colored people had nothing to do with Great
inq the debt of the State. Well, supposing
that to be true; we answer that they mao
nothing to do with the creation OF State ana
city police regulations, which enable them
to 20 to and FROM the State without harm to
their persons or property nor the pubic
highways, the public free schools, the gas
| light, the hydrant water, the paved side
walks, market houses and the public roads
that lead to them, but yet they enjoy them.
They had nothing to do with the creation or
freedom in this great Repu5lic-we mean
that freedom which was won in the battles
of the revolutionary war, but'they enjoy It.;
Our people-the colored people OF all
classes in the State can least afford to adVo-
cate and support reputation for the simple
reason that we are the laboring class. work
ing fer wages and five help those for whom
we labor to repudiate the State debt, may
they not, when they get through with that,
repudiate our claims for the payment OF our
| warpcS