Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1890-06-21
''QUIT POLITICS.

OiOh, AoooS III Ino Negroes quit |
ting politics. We do not believe
anything OF the kind. The Old say.
ing of a." Find out what your enemy
wants you to do and then don't do
IT." is applicable in this case. There
is not a Bourbon Democrat in the
South but who stands ready to yell
at us, "Quit politics. Every White
Liner, Ku Klux, red handed lynch
er cries TO us ''Quit politics.
Whenever an election takes place
they are at the polls with, "Quit
politics" but all the time they are
voting and never think themselves
OF quitting to politics. We have
never known sensible parent who
would teach its offspring not to
steal and at the same time be steal
ing herself. The Negro is a citi
zen and has the right to exercise all
privileges in common with every
other citizen.
For him to quit politics is not
only to acknowledge his unfitness
for the duties Of citizenship and TO
administer to his staunchest friends
an objectionable rebuke, by an
nouncing that the bestowal of the
right of suffrage was not only
mistake, out comforting of right,
which we should not then, and 90
not now care to exercise. He
should make an effort to vote
whether he succeeds or not. He
should vote even If the returns are
manipulated and the will Of the
majority defeated. 1t is good to
keep in practice. 1.-The cannot vote
now, the time will come when he
can and then he can utilize the
knowledge gained by the deposit
ing of votes in dummy boxes in the
name of law.
Moreover it gives the Southern
Bourbon the trouble OF counting
you out and thus going against his
conscience the possession of which
we ascertain by his iDcessant
howl of "Quit politics ~
But what has been the result of quit
ting politics. Let Mississippi and
Louisiana answer. With an over
whelming Democratic majority, and
virtually no opposition, over two
hundred ColOred men, women and
children have been murdered IL
cold blood during the past eigl
teen months and no excuse has beer
given for the crime. Neither have
any of the murderers been punish
ed.
This is one of the beneficent II
suits to follow quitting politics. L
may be a fact that the COloreC
man has devoted too much OF hi
time to politics, but to quit it en-
tirely would be rushing from on,
extreme to another. He shoul,
engage inevery pursuit followed +,
the white man. He should improv
himself spiritually, morally, educ
tiOnally, financially and politically
He should buy property, accumr
late money, engage in business an,
demonstrate to the world that tn
great future before him will b
utilized.
When he Ielinquishes polite.
he gives up his right to represent
ton in this government. He a
quiesces in the oft expressed a
nOnncement that this is a whit
mans government and white me
shall rule it as in contraventlOn t
the announcement of a COVER
ment of the people, for the peOpl
and by the people. To conten
for great principles, and to battl
for rights denied entails the loss
a great amount of energy and
not at all pleasant to the coAten
ing parties. But the enjoyment (
success repays ten-told the trcub
expended, and causes us to reit'
ate our Cry that whatever we d
let us hold our ground, launch oil
in new fields, and show to ii
world that there are enough of |
to maintain our position and y
win the favor of GOD. The grea