Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1897-05-08


r.. Mccarthy, AIDE Mayo, James Nc
Donough, Samuel Frnch. Il. ard many
others. The Negro is the main source
from whence th-se bars received their
support. 1t is from the cOlOrrd man
who leaves lis wife and children TO
starve, who leaves them. comparative
" spe aking, in filth al d rags that
these bar-keepers derive the money
with which TO buy houses and lands
and support their families in luxur,
and ease.
STRANGE PICTURE.
At whose ext ense did say2 1es, at
the expense of the Negro, the black
man, the Atro-American, do these for
eigners, poor as Jobs turkey-Len when
they arrive; amass great fortunes,
buy valuable property, and eventually
control the Negro vote, the state ano
municipal elections, aud Offices, con
trolls the distribution of political pa
tronsge. organize great swiDdliLR
schemes through which they detraud
the people of their just rights and e.
venJually exercise such potent and
baleful influence up our Legislature,
that it produces corruption in its worse
form Having risen To such an unssv-
ory position the foreigners naturally
become the power behind the thrnpe
No better instance can be eli ed tsEAs
the powerful sway EXERCISED by the
Tammanv Hall ring in New York city
a few wears ago This pc itical organ
izatio1 vas made up chic fly OF for
-eigners, and the terrible results of
their corrupting influence can be felt
TO day.
But / am drifting somewhat from the
main issue. What we wish to do is to
make an appeal to the colored man.
In the desperate struggle in which we
as a race are engaged, in the struggle
for equal rights before the law, and
our efforts to rise above our condition
we must let whiskey alene, If we wish
to win.
AS it requires a strong healthy and
intelligent mind,-it requires that
every essential qualification which
goes to make up man must be in the
right condition to meet tbs issue.
Then how can we succeed in casting
down the demon of prejudice and win
ming the plaudits and respect Of the
world if we stand idly aroand the ac-
cursed, whiskey shop, spending our
last dime for drink, selling the life
blood of our own children. wives, sis
tiers, brothers. for drink? How can
we succeed when we reduce ourselves
TO the condition of paupers, sell our
bodies, surrender the God given facul-
ties of our minds, throw away forever
the inestimable and immortal soul for
drink?
Colored men. when you allow whis-
key to make you lose your self-respect
when you allow it to psrvert and de-
stroy the moral sensibilities, when you
allow it TO make you a beast instead OF
man, or when it make you a pauper
instead OF prosperous and intelligent
citizens, or when you surrender your
wives, children, parents and friends
and race as a sacrifice upon the altar
of intemperAnce and to your enemies.
that they might feed and grow fat up
on their carcasses that you have Of
fered up, then / say the destiny of the
black race can be plainly read in the
glare of the highest civilization. THE
Negro is no-nentity and a curse "
WHAT MUST BE DONE.
We admire such a stand as taken by
Mr.. Nelson Williams, Jr and a host
of other noble men and women who
are contending to-day against whiskey
and intemperance, in the cause of ali
humanity; but we address these re-
marks to the colored man in particu-
lar. If the other races want to drink,
let them drink every drop OF whiskey
they distill. II they want their souls,
minds and bodies destroyed, let them
do it. If they want to reduce them
selves to filth and rags and let their
families starve, let them do it. But
for the Afro-American, let him take
the hint that's in the struggle. 1t lie
the survival of the fittest; accumulate
wealth in every honorable way, save
the dollars that are going in the cof-
fers of other races. to get whiskey to
destroy you Get Ell ucstion and other
essentials, grow healthy and thriving
children, and rear them in an atm IS
phere Of purity that they too might be
fitted to join in the struggle agsinsi
oppression. and above all things iet
not the colored man forget his God.
WHAT HYPOCRISY.
Some will advance the argument
that the government stamps the sea-
of her approval upon alcoholic drinks
Well, that's true, but after she sets the
seal OF her approval upon this destruc-
tive commodity, yet if the consumer
happens to drink little too much and
becomes bit hilarious, then the min
ions of the law take the consumer in
charge, who has paid some bar keeper
for drinking some OF the government
approved whiskey, and assesses him
30 lOI 81 Ouuo JnO kONcIn
ment gets a fraction of what the con-
sumner pays for the app owed stuff and
a large assessment (the result OF your
fine) besides. It's nothing but q clear
case of hypocrisy and fraud for any
government to set the seal of her ap-
prevail upon such a commodity upon
payment of a certain amount tax to
destroy her citizens, thereby increas-
ing crime of every description to hold
the cup of poison to the lips OF her own
cit zens, bid them to drink, and be-