Richmond planet., 1900-01-27
WHITE COUNTRYMAN'S PLEA.
Against The Separate Car Bill.
THE DISPATCH COMPOUNDED.
Against Race Prejudice,
Against Race Prejudice,

The following communication appear
ed in the Richmond Dispatch of Tues.
day, January 23i, aud white we do not
agree with all that is said the vital
points under discussion are all right.
To the Editor Of the Dispateh:
live in the Black Self OF Virginia,
where the blacks outnumbsr the whites
to /. My family use the station aud
the trains to Richmond frequently, al
all seasons, and by day and by night
The blacks use the ticket offics, the
waiting room, and the trains indjs-
criminately, and [ have never seen i'll
IN anners, nor heard foul language, nor
smeiled bad smells, from any OF them.
at any time. have made study of
the Negro question. and | conclude
tt at our Virginia Negroes are far more
civiIiz zed and advanced than those OF
the Gulf States.
DIFFERENT KINDS.
But in Virginia we have several diff.
ferent races aud tribes of Negroes
There is family of blacks - b!ue
blscks-here. The men are over 9 feet
sometimes 8 feet 4 inches, or 6 feet 8
inches). and are industrious, intslli-
gent and thrifty. They are acquiring
property, and the young ones all read
write, and cYpher. They are good citi.
gems and loyal friends, and are valua-
BILE to sLe State. Aaother race is con
per colored, of smaller physique, and
have not as good blood as the pure
blacks. When it is recollacted that the
slaves Of Virginia were drawn from the
mouth to the source OF the Niger, from
the lowlands OF the Guinea coast to
the mountains OF Central Africa, it will
be understood that there M " be as
much variation between the Negro OF
the lakes aud the Negro of the coast as
there is between the Saxon and CeIt
OF the British Isles and the Latin OF
Rome, or Naples.
THAT CORDIAL RELATIoNsHIP.
Partly because of the race, and main
ly because OF she horse-sense of the
Virgicisns, the relations between them
have always been cordial, and this liz
stregthened by the social relations ex-
isting. They are domestic servants.
They are trusted with our babies, our
children, our wives, and our property
and it is of the rarest occurrence that
our confidence is misplaced. They
stand with us like children. and We do
our duty by them like children. Look.
ing to the future, aud mainly to the
comfort, prosperity, and happiness of
the master race, it seems to me that
this relation of confidence and affec-
tion ought to be strengthened and en-
couraged. As time goes on in the
fierce struggle for survivorship the
weakest goes to the wall. The right
and Justice OF it may bS obscure; the
fact Is plain. It is appearing now in
the Philippines, in the Transvssl,in In
dia, in China,
MUST IMPROVE OPPORTUNITIES.
The inexorable law is that who does
not improve the opportunities of life
the go1d God has given him must be
pushed aside, and those opportunities
| given to those who will. The mills OF
| the gods grind slowly-but they grind
exceedingly fine; and it seems as il all
the colored races were, ia time, to be
| obliterated.
With these reflections in our hearts
| it seems the part of wisdom and of
| Christianity that we should cultivate
| kindly relations with interiors. The
| marked decadence OF the younger gen.
GRAFTON is clearly due to the decline of
| parental discipline among them, and
| this follows from the constAntly-widen
| ing gap between the races. Under the
| old conditions the servants were in
| constant contact with masters and mis-.
tresses. The domestic discipline OF
the house and Of the PLANTATION taught
them morals and manners, and
| wrought, beyond doubt, great improve
| ment in them.
Therefore, looking to the future of
| Virginia, its peace, order, and happi.
ness, it seems to me relations ought
| to be more intimate, and kindly feel
| ings cultivated.
A Negro preacher says to me: lose
| OF the strongest influences among my
| people, and the one which is OF the
| greatest assistance to me in my work,
| is the close intimacy between servants
| and masters and mistresses." sim
cerely believe it is the most ciVilizing
force now operating.
HURTS THEIR sKNsIBILITIEs.
The proposition to provide separate
cars on the railroads hurts their sensi-
bilitiee. It is the official declaration
of the State that they are unfit to as.
sociate with whites. This declaration
is absurd when we do associate with