Richmond planet., 1904-08-13
jim CROW STREET-CARS.
Shall We Win or Lose /!

Mr.. Editor:
When remember how, three months
ago, the goth of last month, the Jim
Crow street-car regulations were mt i'm
force by the Va. p. SS p. Co in this
city, Manchester and Petersburg. and
how the colored people are almost as
firm to-day in their resolution not To
submit to those regulations as they
were the first day they went into effect.
am constrained TO give all honor and
praise TO the people who have stood so
firm and thereby demonstrated their
right to be treated as men and as citi.
zens and taxpayers of the old and re-
nowned commonwealth of Virginia.
But, by the same token, what must
be said of the leaders? AT the first
blush, they gathered together and rails
ed standard. They called on the
people to come up to and be guided by
that standard. The people came at
their call and loyalty have they stood
shoulder TO shoulder under that stand.
ard, vainly looking around for a sight
and listening to hear the encouraging
and instructive voice of those leaders.
Mr.. Editor, we are more than willing
to be guided by our leaders, but thew
must show themselves as loyal to us as
we are to them. Are we going to fight
this proposition of the street-car COM
pany, TO degrade us, to finish OF are
we TO give 1t up and submit as they pre-
olcted that we would? And if we are
gong to prosecute the fight to the bitter
end, shall we see our leaders i'm tbe
front of the fight-calling us to "come
on" or shall we not see them at all and
only hear some one say that the lea aders
say Ego on?"
hope there will be no misunder
standing between the pulpit and the
press; for these are our natural leaders
and we want none better. Ii the lead.
ers are agreed, they will lead the peonle
TO success. But ii there be dlscord be-
tween the leaders, all will be lost. And
If in this case ell is lost, they-the lead
ers Will certainly reap their full share
of the blame, as also will they have
their full share of the glory and honor
If success is attained
III there ever was time TO stand firm,
1t is now.
Recently. the Va. Passenger & Pow.
er Company as good as confessed iudp-
ment and asked Judge Waddill, Federal
judge TO appoint Receivers for the com.
pany, which he did. At the same time
proceedings were pending in the state
court at Petersburg and Judge Mullen
has since granted the petition of Mr..
Fisher to appoint Receivers for the
Richmond branch of the company. All
of which goes to prove the insolvency of
the concern.
Now, II this corporation cannot oper-
ate Its cars on successful financial bas
is with the full patronage of all the citi-
zens OF the community, how in the
name OF common sense is it to be sup
posed that they can do so when about
forty per cent of the said citizens are
ostraclsed by the company and are
standing off and refusing to patronize
the ears In consequence of the said os-
traclsm by the street-car company?
tell You, Mr.. Elitor, believe that
nopeople contending for their rights ever
was so near to the attainment of them
as the colored people of Richmond are
to-day.
The argument of the empty seats on
the street-cars (and there are plenty of
them) plead for us far more eloouentIy
than argument we can produce.
Just let those seats remain empty.
Let the colored people go on, showing
their capacity to walk, and ere long
there will come, unsolicited, modifica-
ton of the Jim Grow regulations.
But our leaders must do their duty.
The people are looking to them and
they should not be allowed to look in
vain.
Respectfully,
EVA.