Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-01-26

An entertainment was given
. the True Reformers' Hall last Fri.
day evening By large number OF the
most respe ctable colored people Of our
etty: for the benefit Of the First Bap
tise Church (Colore
Ne Times ediiorially is proud: the
kind they want to help; the kind that
eecording TO the ,dvice OF The Tines.
have formed . respectable society. ano
endeavof ed to exclude the unworthy ;
company OF our leading business,
Prefestional and hone st laboring men,
lawyers, doctors, teachers. and even
Rinisters OF the go pei.
They thought tO instruct our people.
and to help our church.
III the Sunday Timee, these people
hundreds Of whom subscribe and pay
Tor your paper. find q three column ar
ticle, sneeriDg at them, and referr Ing
3, them as "the elite OF Africa" apo
yellow Negroes" and ''blsck coons. F"
We are human, and, as Q race are
Hspt cislly sensitive to ridicule and Of
xeosive references. Are you surpris
I'd to know that this sexceedingly IN
Xii sro uDRe nerouR ~ ticle caused
many q heart ache o an In fenaive
and defeDseless class OF loyal citiz ms.
IN the friendship and gesereupity of
the white people OF the South, and are
eoipg what We can to endeavor to per-
SUEDE all OF orr people to believe add
20 ss We do.
For the frat time In our live, We felt
discouraged, and began to feel that
after sll it may be true that the thrift
u. intelligent and law abiding Nesr
Ritixen 10 the object OF Glass le gislation
and opposition OF our white friends.
We write TO you 80 owner OF the
Times to inquire il Il Is can be true or
wss the article q poor attempt Of some
fxrespt nsible reporter to be funny A,
the sacrifice Of the feelings OF the ciass
OF citizens Who had never done Aim
harm.
In the books of ethics that your rae
have written We find it said th at a
mans helplsssness should be ais gres
est defense. This should certainly OBJ
Rain IN our case. Your reporter would
not havs written up q dog fight among
his wn people in the ridicnlous wav
in which this article speaks of the very
best class Of our colorsd citizens.
What can we do 2 IL we should at.
fempt TO come down in q BODY, as
white men would do ard ask an ex
PLANTATION and it was refused we Woald
simply have to walk out or be arrested
and lined or Imprisoned. Should W.
enter suit you have thousands Of dol
lars we have pennies, A few hundred
OF our people will no doubt stop your
paper but since we must have the
daily news we must subscribe to som-
other paper whose reporter we trust
Will rot presume to enter our private
and social main 10 ridieule us.
We have strivsn hard to do some
thing and be something. DR. Sarah
q. Jones, so slightingly aud insulting
~ referred to is a regular practicinp
physician who has made q wonderful
success in her profession.
MI Jacob Wright ia letter carrier
and tax payer, man of unsullied
reputation.
Mr. ID. Webster Davis who ia spek or
OF ss the blsckest Negro in town with
few exceptions" and as casting 4
shadow before him.. on account of hi,
biaekness has just returned from q lee
ture tour in the North by the consep
OF the Richmoud School Board unde,
one OF the largest Lyceum Bureaus /.
this country. He had nothing bu
kind words to say for the South, anC
is the anne n an that yourpsper CAV,
three columns to last June In describ
fngshis sensible spec CHI Sefo re the graz
uAtiT g class of tie Ricf mond Norm \
School. His book OF poems has beer
favorsbIy reviewed by the creates
papers and NJ magazines in the country
The Times, strange TO gay, included
All OF the little black coons." END
big black Negroes" were men ans
women who stand for something il
the community, law abiding, respect.
iuI ttx-fsying citizens. Do you not
feel that you have done them q great
wrong?
Would you like to be trested tbns 2
You know Jim Mitchell. Jr.. the
editor OF the Richmond Planet; w. p.
Burreli, "the windbag of the oceas-
ion," lie the Sec'y Of the True Reform
ers' Organization e. w. Brown. "a
slender Negro with q big foot" is Edi-
oor of the paper of that organization /:
Mr.. Ed ward Ellis, Jr. OF whom Won
spoke as being as black as the bottom
OF well. is the Accountant of the Saw
iDRs Bank Of the Grand Fountain.
While our blackness might have
cast shadow before, we pray God that
they may never cast one behind on the
pathway of struggling brother.
III civil. zation 81 d culture make a
man treat his helpless and defepseless
fellowman thus, their ignorance and
SUPERB titution are not the worse thing
in this world il one has not lost the
milk OF human kindness.
We must, according to your splend.
I'd Sunday homilies, DO good to them
that despitefuny use US" Bnt God lie
not dead, Whatsos Yer man soweth
that must he also reap"
We cannot bring ourselves to be-
lieve that you would mAliciousIy treat
respectable colored citizens shis way,
1t is worse than the police reports
and Jour reports on cakewalks are
specimens OF literature compared to It.
We are shocked, discouraged and
dumfeunded. Every colored citizen
OF any pride is grieved. Surely there
must be some terrible mistake. Per-
haps 1t Was meant in fun, but what is
fun to you is death to ne.
AT meeting of q large number or
our best citizens who psrtici pAted m
the entertainment this respectful LET.
ter was ordered to be written to see IL
something might not be done to show
that there is in the bosom Of the beat