Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-07-13
A PLEA FOR
SUFFRAGE.
COlORED MEN APPEAL TO
THE COMMITTEE
w Mite Men entertained. Will the Voice of the
Advocates be Heard
SAID NOTHING TO oFFENDTHE OFFCEcT 1ppEr
FROM THE o|lFFED

THESE years as a burlen.bearer for Y,o,;.
lcsl parties. He has now tleter,n;,,aJ =,
tnlnk, act and vote for the best interasts
OF ms State. The northern ,ne, &C
Soou 10 Negroes IN an inverse ratio 10
the number that inhabits place "
we IKE a hot sun and warm hearts
a Negro left the sunny cline of Vir.
SIIila ana went TO Maine, and the clim-
a.e ana people troze him 20 death. He
that he could get warm once ,nouo ~
Some one opened the door of tba fnr'
mace before he was completely inc;na,
ated, and the old darkey yelled ont
ohnt that door; / can't staYd thst
Inc speaker here read the roport of
the minority of the Suffrage Comm;t.oa
OF the Alabama Convention and co,,,
mented on it. He then paid a biDb tr;h
ute TO the Virginia Negro. saving bo
was the highest type of the African raca
humIoronsly remarlling that 'this idea
Oh the Virginia Negroes excellence is am
outcropping OF pardonable trait i'm onr
unrlvalled white friends of the Old 10.
minion." vi" Do-
REV. LEWIS REMARKS.
heN' II. ID. Lewis, pastor of the Sac-
ond Baptist Church (coloredl. of Rich
mond, said in part:
l would not presume TO saw to Won
Loole ana conscientious REPRESENTATIVES,
"a ~. q nooiS commonwealth, what is your
0'tSy III tIe grave matters before Won
Even II knew 1t l would not, and no
man, If You cannot, can divine tbe r;o,I,t iio
course to pursue" ''sN'
"A great blessing has undonhta51v-
come TO US out of slavery. ont of IT,
Uirk ulspensatlon there has come to ne
shlhlng nights of civilization and Chris,
tIanlty winch our brethren in the Land
Oh our ancenters have never enjoved ;,
1--WE love these great institnt;o1S oe
American liberty and Justice. and Nc
personally love you, noble renraSa,,t W, %e
tlves OF the supreme power of repnbIican
institutions. 'P''Dilcah
Our race, believe, is STRIVING ~ ar.
@ e1in Ihe point or being considered bv
you as worthy citizens. w
Mahy OF us see our races short COM
lngs and more and more of MS are n,aI-
ing courageous effort to correct tbnI' llr ;,
The speaker here made am affect;no Il
fusion to memories of boyhood davS snd
lasting affection for a distinOT;shaJ
member or the committee and conf;n-
ued; 00A'in-
we are truly thankful for what von
southern white men have done for nc
and we shall be submissive TO Iybatar,a1.
you may do, feeling satisfied that 80,
VIII do what you think best for us an
and we will patiently wait and watcb
developments, hoping to see that Gods
hand has guided you"
said: ''o w.
Il have been warning my people for
years tnat reaction would come among
!Ie White people as result of their fool.
ish herding in a solid mass a0ainst 49,
thing proposed by them for the upbniI6,
ing of this grand old Commonwealth
Ihe hour has come for us TO prav Won
to give us an opportunity to show that
we are worthy to be treated as indenens
dent, acting, thinking and voting citi.
zens. we can promise you different ac.
tlons III the future. You Trusted nc
while you were away ON the battIefieId
and we ask you to try our WorI, now
We recognize that there is a class Of
people thatishould not have the franchise
and all we ask that whatever color thar
class may be, even-handed Justice viii
be meted TO ALL WIN
THE RESOLUTION.
He then read the following memorial.
1--WE, colored citizens of CharIotta
State of Virginia, in mass meeting as
sembled, being fully alive to the 9ueS-
tons that threaten our welfare and nro-
yress as race-questions which viii
come before the Constitutional Convan-
non, assembled at Richmond the 18th
nst-and believing that our best white
friends are opposed to any measures
mat Will tend to unman us, and drive
aS =, Dack INTO the shades of ignorance.
dleness and responsibility; that ssto
'rlln ones course to catch the breeza 90
Continued on sth pe ge.