Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-12-19

substituting Negroes, az less wages,
general. If the messenger boys are co
be Negroes, why not che clerks and
presently mechanics all of kinds?"
Pardon us, but such argument twill
not stand days washing" or an hours
discussion. The NEws-LEADER knows
that in the Southland, che doors of pro
motion are barred against the colored
man. If he is porter in building at
Is years of age, and he remains with
the same corporation or employer, he
will be a porter at 90 years of age. He
will be spoken of as trusted servant,
but porter all the same.
ssThis journal deals with theories, when
it is able to deal with facts. 1t is ad-
mitted that the experiment has sue
ceeded in other southern cities, Is it
shown that in any one of these cases
that colored people have been employed
on the other side of the dead-line set by
the Negotiating contingent of the
Southlands A messenger is q servant
in the same sense of porter, and there
is hardly business white man of mon
ey and respectabihty, but who has his
polite Negro messenger at "his elbows
end"
The white boys have usurped and en-
croached upon the Negro's territory,
and in the policy followed by the West
ern Union Telegraph Company, "Sam-
DO" is only coming unto his own. Ar
istocratic white men ito the manor
born" have always believed and assert
ed that mental employment was suited
only for Negroes anu nave discounte-
nanced all efforts on the part of white
men or women to wash windows, clean
cuspidores, sweep the floors and do like
mental service.
White folks were used as clerks, man.
ayers and placed in line of promotion.
You cannot insult q Virginia gentle
man by sending Negro servant to his
door. He rather likes the idea, because
1t is well-known fact that Negroes, as
a rule, do noV take liberties with his
daughters or aspire to a social relation
ship which will at times burn in a
white youth s breast.
The United States Government en-
ploys tens of tho usands of colored car
riers, who come directly in contact with
some of the most cultured snd refined
white people in the south and there is
not on record case of insult or assault
chronicled against them.
The Pullman Palace Oar Company
employs an army Of polite colored men
as porters and although they are prac-
tically the over-seers of the bedrooms
of some of the most cultured male and
female people OF the land. their record
is such as to win universal praise and
commentator from all quarters.
The NEwsLEADER question if mes.
sengers are to be Negroes, why not
clerks and presently mechanics of al
kinds, has already been answered, II
said:
1--WE believe the Commercial, bust
| ness class in the South should meet thi.
| challenge and threat promptly and de
cisively. The conditions offer men OF
this class the opportunity TO show prac
| tically their loyalty to the white work
ing people of the South"
1t then FASTENED to say that thi,
"demagogue talk is not demagogi,
' talk as follows.
| ''This is no demagogue talk nor in
| tended to catch votes or curry favor
with any body. The News-Leader ha.
proved that it is not afraid to antang
, onize the working classes when requir
ed to do so by its understanding of it.
| duty to the public. It is a plain matter
OF tact that the Southern white work
/ ing classes IN times past have proved
their loyalty TO the business interests
, to the commercial and business classe.
and TO their States. They turned out
promptly to fill the ranks In time of wal
and in the political trouble since, they
stood staunch and true. This was es.
I pecially notable in Virginia and more
especially here in Richmond. We have
to recollect that in readjuster times
when the credit and honor of the State
were at stake, nobody stood by them
more faithfully than the working peo
ple.'
This is peculiar reasoning and yet it is
a ''two-edged sword that cuts both
ways" The Southern Negro working
classes IN times past have proved their
loyalty to the business interests, to the
commercial and business classes rnC
to their states. They, too, turned Out
promptly to fill the ranks in time OF
war. Some of them were foolish
enough to enlist or to attempt to enls
in the Confederate army and for further
information upon this subject, apply t.
Capt. BENJAMIN SCoTT. 6l8 Judah St.
Richmond, Va. Those VINO couldn'
''enlist" with the musket, did so will
the pick-axe and shovel as the numer
Gus batteries in this section will attes
and prove mute witnesses to the skill
of the black man in this department o
the army of the Confoderacy. TIL
Negro was at home in the kitchen
too anl &c ono 20 el.o ---o~Ao.A II. u