Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-06-18

hort OF this, any policy whose de-
Ilgn and whose effect il 10 benefit one
las TO the detriment OF the whole Is \
policy that 10 contrary to the very es.
'ence.of the American principle"
But this policy has its limits, and
hey are specified in the Constitution
u the United States itself.
THUS far shalt thou 60, and no fur
her" is the law, and no state can make
law which will transcend the bounds
II legal reason, or be antaeonistic to
the supreme statutes themselves.
They cannot do it, Mr.. Editor. even
though the state presumes that snch
an enactment will surely promote the
good OF the whole people.
III then state is denied this power.
why should it be presumed that Il had
been delegated to the individual e;t;-
gems of a state.
according to your reasoning, the
majority might at any time presume
that the teachings Of the Congregation
aiists were fruitful source of trouble
and that 1t would surely promote the
good of the whole people to expel them
from this continent and confisca.e
their property.
But here comes the restraining hand
OF that magnificent instruments. the
constitution which declares that "Con
gress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion or prohibit
ing the free exercise thereof" Then
how can you say:
I'VE said the other day that this was
a white mans country and that sll
policies of government would be In the
interests OF the white race. That
means simply that the whites are large
~ 10 the majority, and that they will
not suffer anything to be merely in the
interest OF the black man, which shall
be detrimental to the public service.
either civil or military"
But this is not white mans coun-
try. neither is it black mans country.
and you are sworn to recognize it as
the peoples country, You lay down
the wrong premises,-and then argue to
them as though the premises were
right.
Plainly stated, you might have said :
II this Is white mans country, then
al the policies Of government should
be for the interests OF the white race.
II this is a peoples country, then ali OF
the policies of governments should be
for the interest of the people.
The Constitution rot only SAYS that
this is the peoples country, white and
eolorsd, but goes further and declares
in the Fourteenth Amendment to the
Constitution as follows:
"All persons born or naturalized in
the United States and subject 90 the
Jurisdiction thereof, are citizens
OF the United States, and oi
the state wherein they reside. Nc
state shall make or enforce any law
which shall abridge the privileges or
i'm munlties OF citizens of the United
States; nor deny to any person
the equal protection of the laws"
What then becomes OF ysur argu.
ment ? A white citizen has Just AZ
much right here as a colored one and
a colored citizen has just as much
right here as q white one.
But perhaps the TINES editor is 8
little rusty" on the Constitution and
the Bible, and has not read either for
some time.
We pay taxes, we are liable for mill.
tary service and we are guaranteed
the right to hold office without having
every ''two-ceDt" white man tracing
around after US to question our right
SO to do.
The better class of white people have
better sense, and accord to us all OF
our rights under the law.
For reference to men of this kind
apply to ex-Gov. FITzHuoH LEE, ex.
Gov. CHARLES 7. O'FERRALL, Gov. J
HoGE TYLER, the Supreme Court Of
Appeals of Virginia, Judge B. R. Wei.
FORD, JR-, and host of others we
could name not excepting Gov. Rus.
SELL of North Carolina, and President
WILLIAM MCKINLEY at the White
House at Washington.
The following sounds strange, and
savors of buncombe, not unmixed with
hypocrisy.
"The Times has always opposed anC
always will oppose class legislation O
whatever character"
The TIMES says:
ave go farther and say that the bes-
friend OF the Negro is the man whe
tries to keep him out of trouble, anC
that it is a mistaken kindness to pusi
hin forward when in SO doing the in
evitable effect is to bring trouble upor
him"
We do not think so. This is world
of trouble, and we have been having
our share of it ever since those "siH
ners" brought our forefathers Over
here in that Dutch vessel in 1920, with
out waiting for the European tailor t.
provide us with pants, that would ever
''hang loose"
The boy who runs away from trouble
will be the first to run into it, AID 81
it is with races.
We should ascertain our duty, ant
our rights, and thew to the line
trouble or no trouble. The TIMES says
"We take the broad view, a yer,
much broader view, we apprehended
than the colored people give us credi
for. 1t is the narrow view that would
legislate peculiarly in the interest O
the black man. We are firmly con.
WINGED that that policy which bes
serves and pleases the white people o
this nation is the policy which mos
surely promotes the true interests o
the Negro"
OF course it is. The white people o
the nation are all right 1t is only the
few Negotiating white "soreheads s.
who are all wrong
The white people of the nation say
that we should have our rights. Yor
say that we should not have them.