Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-09-17
THE POSTS STRUCTURES.

Still, 1t has at times given aid and
cJnfort ~ this element of our body
polite and it may have been wise after
all in 50 dong this, i'll that it extended
the scope of its usefulness, and later ex
erted an influence in our behalf which
could not have been exercised by "a
journa, of a more radical tendency.
Certain 1t Is, that it occupies AN
unique position and ranks among the
most popular journals of the United
States. During short stop at Burke
vile, Va, via Norfolk & Western Rail
road, we saw a white gentleman of the
+. +. V. type, who sought for copy of
The Posi- and refused all other substi-
tutes, although some of the best New
York dailies were at his disposal He
wanted The PoST or nothing and he
reluctantly chose the latter and walked
away.
But to the discussion The Posi- in
its issue of the 18th inst says:
"Our esteemed colored contemporary,
the Richmond PLANET, from whose
columns we constantly derive both
amusement and instruction, is mistak
en- in supposing that The Post is NE
/ gro -hater." Nothing of the kind
| When we say that considerably less
than half the cotton crop is produced
by Negro labor we simply state noto-
rious fact, without intending the slight
est reflection upon the colored people.
The truth is that during the past TIN Or
/ fifteen years many thousands II Ne.
/ groes have left the fields to congregate
IN towns; other thousands have gone TO
the mines, factories, lumber mills, &c
of the South; while still other thous-
ands have migrated this way. hight
here IN Washington there are at least
10000 Negroes for whom there IS no
legitimate and profitable employment
the resul5 OF which arrangement we
suppose need hardly be suggested 70
sucn an Intelligent Observ,r OF puOIIc
events as the hlcnmohd PLANET.
Lei us grant that less than half the
cotton crop is produced by Negro labor
aud we have, according to the United
States Census Reports, an annual cotton
production to the credit of the citizen
of color aggregating 0,75S, 00O) ten
hhiOh, oSNSu huhuAeu anu MY -SlHut
thousand bales, valued at ($l72, 1873
000) one hundred and seventy-two mil
lion, one hundred and twenty eight
thousand dollars. This is for the year
Ct 1902.
The total Negro population of the
United States according to the latest
census reports is (9,204,53D nine mil
lion, two hundred and four thousand,
five hundred and thirty-one
OF this number (3,992 S3O three mil
lion, nine hundred and ninety two thou
sand, three hundred and thirty seven
are engaged IN gainful occupations and
aTe entitled bread. winners" They
60. stitute 45.2 per cent Of the whole
Negro population as against only 37.3
per cent of the same kind of people
among the southern whites.
This indicates that there are more
white loafers in the southern states
than there are colored ones. See United
States Census Reports, Bulletin s, Page
ID, first column. Negro "bread.win
]
groes at least ten years of age while the
southern white dread winners con-
stitute only 4S.6 per cent, showing 1876
I per cent in +. vor of the Negroes.
AS TO whether the Negroes have left
the South. we let IL Census Report an
swer. IL says:
/ Nearly nlne-tenths 1877 per cent? of
che Negroes living in continental Un-
tied States are found in the Southern
States and three-tenihs OLA per cent?
IN Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama"
! AS to whether the majority of the
Negroes live in the cities, this report
says on Page Il:
more than three fourths (773 per
cent of the Negroes live in the coun
try-ehat is, outside of cities, having at
least $500 inhabitants
This emphasizes the fact that the
Posi- has drawn its Negro population OF
Washington from the ranks of the
five million anti, bread winners, and is
suffering as result of its folly.
The bread winners, " my dear sir, are
still with us and if you have any furGh.
er doubt with reference to that subject
we shall quote you few facts, show.
ing the enormous amounts of money
they are piling up in the Southland &c
the credit of that section of this great
republic.
The Negroes produce every year TO.
bacco valued at (S5, 1885, 5D five mil.
lion, seven hundred and fifty six thous.
and, three hundred and fifty-one dol
lars. They raise 1921, 056) five mil
lion, nine hundred and twenty-sever
thous and and fifty-six bushels of wheat
per year, the value of which is ga, 14S
939 800 four million, one hundred and
forty eight thousand, nine hundred and
thirt y-nipe dollars and thirty-nine
cents.
These same Negroes raise (134, 522)
one hundred and thirty-four thousand
five hundred and twenty-five bushels OF