Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-03-03
THAT"JIM GROW OAR" LAW.
Editor Planet:

Editor Planet:
During the war of secession . Con.
federste soldier tried to get an express
sion Of opinion from o black man who
was q servant in his regiment as Co
whether he would. If he were afforded
an opportunity fight for the South or the
North The colored man answered
somewhat after the following fashion
Say, Boss, did you ever zee two
dogs fighting over . bone7"
Why, certainly 1 have" said the
Yes" continued the slave, shut did
you ever see de bone fieht7"
Idid?"
"well," returned the black man, 81
am dat BONE"
In this case, the terms are reversed.
The "bone" is not only willing and in
tend to express an opinion but so far
as argument goes Is willing to fight.
thank God that such q white man
as "a Countryman," whose letter you
published IN the Planet recently, lives
in old Virginis.I tell you, sir, there are
more than seven Thousand" white men
in Virginia who have not bent the knee
to Bssl. Do not you be discouraged,
Il
your race succeed ia Passing oppres.
sive laws. They have passed such
laws before, but they have been
repealed; and this one will be repeal
ed.
| Sstsn's power is limited, remem-
Der that. We trust in God, whe IL net
limited. Sometime ago the Planet
published letter from "a White
Lady" Such publications do more
good than you think for. am past the
zenith Of lie, and though lived at
the time of many of the occursnces
which che narrated, many OF the facts
were entirely new to me. Nevertne-
less, they greatly strengthened me,
see what wonderful strides, under
God I'VE have made since those times OF
whi,h she writes.
Who believed in those dark days that
the sun OF freedom would be brightly
shining to-day And that the Afri-
can race would be backing in its rays
az it Is basking2 It is because know
that thousands and thousands of such
| white men and women as "A Country
man" and "a White Lady" live in old
Virginia, am willing to submit to OPP
pressive laws. 1 know they cannot
last.
Keep up your list of lynchings, Mr..
1 Editor, until it covers several pages OF
| the Planet. Keep it up till the white
men of the South become ashamed of
their own record.
Where was the necessity for the
"Jim Grow" car law? There was none.
The arguments of its advocates were
all wrong, because their premises were
wrong. What were the premises :?
Whether so expressed or not, the logi-
cal premises were whereas Negroes
are generally i'll behaved and Negro
rowdies UNDESIRABLE, therefore, we en-
act law requiring the railroad COM
panies to provide separate cars for the
two rsces." Now these premises are as
Gates know ss well as they know their
| prayers (?) that ali Negroes are not ILL
behaved and they also know that Ne
| groes are no more rowdy than white
rowdies. This being fact, there was
no necessity for Jim Grow" law.
Had there been q law to separate the
rowdies of both races from the genteel
people OF both races, no one would OBJ
| iect; because such q law weuld be
just. But let the colored people pos
sees their souls in patience.
A just God rules on high. If sny
doubt, let them ask Egypt or Greece
or Rome or Spain. These countries,
before their collapse had slim Grow"
laws, 1. Il, oppressive and degrading
class-laws. There are certain ele-
ments among the white people Of the
South who are never 80 happy as when
engaged in something which they
think degrades, Expresses and harnesses
tho colored people who never did
them any harm.
Another view: Are these white peo-
pie who are responsible for these OBJ
J jectionable laws Christians? What is
a Christian 2 Webster says "Ohrist-
ian is a believer in the religion Of
Christ" What is the religion of
Christ? The Lord, himself, while on
earth summed it up thus: Therefore
all things whatso ever ye would that
them" And further, He said, "For
this is the law and the prophets"
What says our Christian oppressor to
this i?
The white people brought us here,
heathens from Africa against our will
without our consent. They enslaved
Us for two hundred and forty years !;
libersting us only when God had
brought judgement upon them and
caused the blood of the flower OF their
land to flow as water. They liberated
US, turned US loose, Tour million souls,
without foot Of land nor one dOllaz of
our hard earned wages. In spite of all
this, we behaved as well as the aver
age white person, according to the
light we had. And now, without cause,
they insult and Cypress as.
What sort Of opinion do our religious
teschers-the white people think their
pupils-the colored people entertain Of
them Are they Indifferent as 10th at
opinion7 Christ, their great examplar,
was not indifferent to the opinion en-
tertained Of Him, for, at one time He
asked His MISREPRESENTATION do men
say tb at I, the Son of man sm2"A gain,
can Virginia afford to ALLEVIATE Fever
half million OF her citizens who are
now as loyal as any citizens ever were?
Let her think. Suppose an Aguinsl-
do were TO arise among them? (which
God forbid).