Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1897-07-31
FROM THE EAST END,
Are Social Clubs Conducive
to the Negroes Welfare?
THE AIMS AND OBJECTS
Pertinent Talk on the CUES
ton.
ANOTHER FOOL TRIES
TO END HIS LIFE.
Sunday School Picnic a
Success
A YOUNG POET.
Arrivals and Northumberland and
General Items.

The time has come for the young
people, in whom the hopes of our
ancestors are conferred, to take an in
telhgent view Of our present condition
TO see II we as young men and women
are evincing those great moral, intel
lectual and noble traits of chara cter
that are necessary to the Welfare of
our race. In this generation it is ex-
pected that with all our superior ad-
vantages of education that we should
DO better than the generation before
us, 1t Is expected that the young peo-
pie should take an intelligent stand on
and have a thorough knowledge of all
the great questions that confront us as
race. The eyes, hopes and ambition
OF nearly 100000 are centered on US
today. The unsympathiZinR and an
tagonistic eyes of a cold world are crit
really fastened on us: and it is time
that we should bestir ourselves SO that
the hopes OF our people may not go
unrealized.
ABOUT OUR CLUBS
What we wish to speak Of in the
present article is whether Social
Clubs under the existing circumstan-
ces are conducive or helpful to the
welfare of the race" The writer is
conversant with members of nearly
every social club in Richmond and
nnds that all are animated by the
same desire, and that is TO have II good
time Having nice time, sometimes.
we don't object TO at all, but the modes
OF having this good time as we'll as the
glaring <act that this is the principal
motive for which the clubs are organ
lied are unQuestionably harmful in its
effects not only upon the individual
members composing the clubs but
hurtful and damaging to the race as
we'll We wish that every member Of
q social club would read these lines,
and ask him or herself the question
What material gooo do derive from
a social club 7'' and il you find it drop
as letter at this Office and we will see
TO 1t being published.
THE EVIL KFFEoTs.
We arc eternally opposed to the by
pocracy Of keeping up appearances, e
spending every penny to keep up a
social club in order Co be lin it, as
many say. What our purpose is, as we
nave Aforesaid to see whether these
clubs are helpful TO US as a race under
the existing circumstances. For our
selves we say They are harmful.
Why? Because IN the face of the
glazing fact that we are as mass de-
pendent upon other races for liveli-
hood, for clothing and other necessi-
tles OF life Yet we are able to throw
away valuable money in giving costly
OUTLAWS to recklessly throw away mon
ey Tor nne dress, the ladies in many
cases wearing that dress but once. Can
we anord such extravaganza in the
race or the TACT that we are unable to
support a race journal Can we af-
lord 1T when our brothers and sisters
around US are starving, growing up in
ignorance where spelling book would
perhaps change the destiny of a ma
tlon Gan we afford such, when the
majority OF the members of these
clubs are ignorant and poor them
selves. and who carry on an intelligent
conversation They are strangers to
the current doings of to-day, and yet
can spend their money like fools for
some one else's enjoyment and are toe
stingy to bay books.
What benefit are these clubs to So.
clety Some make a pretence of dis.
terminating between the good and bad
In their membership, while in other.
tnere seem to be pure and moral at
mos mere, but all adopt the same
harI.IuI method OF having their good
time al certain clubs we notice indi
viduaIs males and females who are fire
quenters of disreputable places anC
whose actions do not bear investiga
ton and still are the most exalted
members of the clubs.
THE TRUE AIM.
It has been frequently said that Wa
have no society, and if as some under
stand it these clubs are arms of oul
society or are representatives of ou
best society and seek by such extrava
gance and lack of intellectual, finan-
cial and moral fitness to set themselves
~ as auxiliaries and representatives
We enter our solemn protest
Young people, we as u race are no
financially able to keep up social club
at the same time sacrificing intellect
ual advancement for the sake of keep
ing up appearances and striving to ou1
do the other. We have Unity, Integri-
tv, Wisdom, Courage and Ambition e
become nation, says Capponi ana
without these essentials we cannot be-
Rnation; therefore IL behooves us tt
lay down the vain. hypocritical anC
delusive desire for pleasure and get
those essential qualities that will sci
our race in the luminous and resplen-
dant diadem of the foremost anC
grandest nations of the world. We
should have higher and nobler aim il
life than pursuing the useless baubl,
OF temporary pleasure. We wOulC
say more but space forbids.
WOULD BE SUICIDE.
Another fool has entered the Ion,
list of suicides and would be suieid 81
in the person of Jack Meanley, Jr.
white who tiled to take his life las
week at Hard's bar and grocery stor,
on Venable street 1t is supposed tina
trouble exaggerated by the potent eff
fects of bad Ticker" and superin
duced by human vanity to have one
name inserted in the newspapers wa
at the bottom OF his rash attempt t,
take his CD life The mode by which
he vainly tried to take his exit from
this sphere and to shake this morta
coil was small vial OF laHdanum. III
was carried by the ambulance to tn
residence of his parents, cerner 28tl
and Marshall Streets where after as
siduous labor on the part of the physi
clans he was brought back from tn
shadowy portals OF death and pro
nounced out of danger. He has wifi
and child.
DELIGHTFUL PICNIC,
Contrary to the wishes OF many O
our malicious hearted race we are glsC
to learn that the Fountain Baptis
Sunday School gave their annual pic
mic to Poplar Springs, pleasant re.
sort about 10 miles down the @. & o
Road, owned by Messrs w. g.. and A.
S. Singleton, last Monday. The picnic
as we learned was adelightful one, and
everything passed Of pleasantly in
deed with the single exception of the
accidental fall of an old unused brush
house, under with several people had
taken refuge from The rain. Mrs.