Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-01-09

sought the help of colered voters in re-
construction days against the carpet
baSgers, aud il was the Negroes who
would not have it So. In Petersburg a
Democratic common council made over
lures TO Negro voters by putting Ne
groes on the police, and the Democratic
party put Negroes on its ticket for
munich pal offices. The Negroes not on
ly rejected these overtures, but ossra.
clsed and prosecuted Negroes who ac-
copied places at the hands of the Demo
cratic party. In some instances, Ne
groes who voted the Democratic ticket
/ were threatened with expulsion from
their churches, and If our memory is
not at fault, some were expelled. 1t is
certain that they were ostracised So
| cIally and prosecuted in business Pc
| sburg, Va, Index Appeal.
good memory and for this reason we
shall be pleased to refresh it along these
same lines, while quoting an amusing
but truthful doggerel:
The Devil was sick,
The Devil a monk would be.
The Devil was we'll,
The devil monk was he"
The Negro-hating Democratic Pa rty
of Virginia and the Southland has al
ways been to the average colored citi-
zen at least the image of "His Males
ty," if not the Devil himself, and when
that party after a campaign in which
| the Negro constituted the burden of its
song and the object of its abuse was
hardly ready to receive i5 with open
arms or believe anything that it was
| shrewi enough to say.
We were of the opinion that the very
success at the polls which gave to the
power of which the INDEX APPEAL
speaks was brought about by coalition
of Negroes and white folks. Moreover,
, the intelligent Negroes who were put
upon the police force and those who
WIRE nominated for municipal offices
most assuredlv vot, d the Democratic
ticket and urged their friends to do like
wise.
| This would seem 70 us then to prove
tine truth Of our contention; namely
that the educated and respe, table Ne
groes stood ready to support the inteili-
gent. law-abIding white men against
the ignorant and the vicious as applied
TO white and black men.
Let us grant that the ostracism of
Democratic Negroes was wrong,
both in principle and practice. From
what source did they receive their in
structions? They were pupils in the
school of civilization, and the southern
white men were their Instructors.
, Who were subjected TO hotter fires OF
persecution than the southerners who
I sympathized with the North and spoke
in favor of the Union?
Il Who stood greater insult, and were
, visited with greater misery than the
| Yankee school-marms, who followed in
, the wake of the wars devastation ano
instructed the young Negroes how tC
read and write despite the laws making
such an act misdemeanor, which law,
T up to that time remained upon many
statute books of the southern states?
We cite these facts TO show our fair
minded contemporary that despite al
this, some of the intelligent Negro
broke away from their own people, a.
{ this journal frankly admits, faced os
; tracism and bIaved the expulsion from
, their own churches in order 60 test the
, promises made by the Democratic white
men of the Southland.
. 1t may not be out of place TO call the
, attention Of the INDEX APPEAL TO tho
, ostracism, to which Gen. WILLIAM MA.
| HONE and his followers were subjected
: The former of course was not expelled
| from the church, for, from the number
of "cuss-words" he was noted in using
it was hardly possible that any church
| do not refer further TO these troublous
times Of the past, for we have examples
! at the present time.
; Treasurer MARTIN (white) had his
! life threatened at Berkeley, Va.
; during last December because he re
ceiVed the poll-taxes from colored men
who were so entitled under the law
, Armed white Democrats drove coloreo
| men from the treasurer's office and the
treasurer in question was forced to take
, refuge in a station-house.
No arrests have as yet been made and
the matter seems to be treated lightly
Z in official circles.
= This is done too in a county where
, the candidates for Office are so-calleC
fusion Democrats and whose recognized
leader, Capt. r. G. MARSHALL boldly
r announced, and announces that they
> stand for white supremacy, ant
incidentally the political degradation O
the Negro. But these intelligent Ne
( groes supported and are yet supporting
3 Capt. r. c. MARSHALL, although thert
: will be many of them nc doubt wh'
= will prefer to support the real aaticle-
1 the "Old Boy" in plain Language, TIT
!. Devil himself, which is indeed typics