Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1896-03-07

tons affecting the welfare Of citizens.
It's comment upon crime in the white
and black counties OF this state as
shown by the report of the auditor OF
public accounts is an unsnswerable de
tense OF the section in which he resiGe
and the people for whom he speaks:
1t says:
elm obedience to a resolution OF the
Senate of Virginia, the auditor Of pub
lie accounts has made q statement
showing the number of persons assess
ed with capitation tax in lS06in each
county and city, the criminallEcharges
per capita OF those assessed witch CAPT
ration tax and the State revenue de-
rived from each county and city
This statement is known as Senate
document No 8. and il is gratifying to
the taxpayers and property owners
in this part OF Virginia in that it au
thoritatively refutes the SANDER that
| the section known as the Black Belt is
| the largest source OF criminal charges
against the Commonwealth.
A comparison of the criminal charges
per capita in the Fourth Compression
al District with counties having al
most exclusively white population, or
an overwhelming majority OF whites,
| shows an advantage in favor OF the
Fourth District OF more than 90 per
cent.
And again:
For instance: The criminal charges
per capita for Amelia, 80 1 81; for Al
legany, 81 70; for Brunswick, 32S; for
Buchanan, 81 SO 2-S; for. Dinwiddie,
l5K cents; for Dickinson. $4.07
I4-5; for Greenesville, 8S16S; for
Henrico. 81 o4A for Lunenburg, 81 .oe;
for Scott, $2.6lH; for Mecklenburg.
Isle: for Montgomery, 81 OF; Powha-
tan $50; for Pulaski, 81 6S1z; Prince
Edward, 66 2-S: for Smyth. $1.1614 I;
Prince George 353zS; for Warwick.
a. Az: for Sussex, 6lf; for Wise,
/ SO. 88 2-5; for Petersburg, 81 2316 for
Richmond, 81 2SH
On account of ITS Negro population,
Southside Virginia has been made the
scape goat of much vicious legislation,
Idone ostensibly in the name of civil
llization and white supremacy, but in
REALTY to promote partisan and fac
tional advantage. 1t has been alleged
again and again, falsely as Auditor
Marye's statement shows, that this
section is the heaviest criminal charge
laCainst the State and the advocates OF
} the Walton and kindred measures JUS
tify themselves on the ground that
lsuch measures are necessary to the
protection of Southside Virginia, not
withstanding the protest of respecta-
BILE citizens and tax payers to the con
trary, and the proven fact tina these
INSTRUMENTS of fraud are used more il
1.-THE white than in the black districts
1t speaks boldly:
The detriment to the moral and ma
terial interests of Southside Virgini
resulting from these false imputation
| is incalculable. No man of means, @
intelligence and of character woul
cast his lot with a people where fraui
3 was necessary to good government ar
: where the elective franchise was in tn
, Iirreversible control of faction Of offic
=, holders and plsce-seekers. Thes
q things are an outrage against the int
: ests of property owners and bushes
linen of this section and ought not t
4 be patiently endured f0r the sake OF
few men who live by politics. a HON
o in Southside Virginia is as desirable q
d as any part of the State. life and prop
q Ierty are as secure here as elsewher
and the negro has never ruled her
leither in carpetbag times or later un
q der General Mahone's leadership {
e the Republican party.
Of Comment is unnecessary. This patr
e otto, Virginia loving journal has omit
e ted nothing and we gladly add OF
q commentator to that which is rollin
y up from ali sections of the State in n
o lc)gnitioD of the point it has made an
sdriven home"