Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-08-26


cause. The ostrich man is the fun
niest OF all this group of obstruc-
tionists. for he Is man of brains
and capacity
Certainly these, people have right
10 their opinions without being made
the objects Of ridicule and sucn des-
ignations aud references hardly be-
1T the calling Of Gods chosen ,eadsr.
But Mr.. Dixon, in all os these as
sertions emphasizes the fact that
there are many white people even
among his own friends who do not a.
gree with him in his most remarka
bic, anti-christian dissertations.
Here is what he says
] have friend OF this kind in New
York. He got after me the other
day somewhat in this fashion: -
What do you want TO keep agi-
tating this Internal question for2
There's no danger in il . unless you
stir K. Let It alone. I grant you
that the Negro race is a poor, worth
less parasite. whose criminal and
animal instincts threaten society.
But the Negro Is here to stay. We
must train him. It is the only thing
we can do. SO what's the use 70
waste your breath? ?"
But what about the future when
you have educated the Negro?" I
asked timidly.
Let the future take care of IL
Il - serH Cd -
live In the present. What's the use
to worry about He'll? II can
scramble through this world success
fully TN take my chances with the
Hell problem
Mr.. Dixon makes the following re-
ply
My friend forgets that this was
precisely the line of argument Of
our fathers over the question of Ne
gro slavery. When the constructive
statesmen of Virginia (called pessi-
mists and infdels In their day) fore
saw the coming baptism of fire and
blood C6i 10 65) over the Negro
slave. they attempted TO destroy the
slave trade and abolish slavery. My
friend can FIND his very words in the
answers of their opponents. Let
the future take care Of itself The
slaves are here and here to stay.
Greater evils await their freedom.
We need their labor Let the Ques-
tion alone. There IS no danger in il
unless you stir it,"
The one proposition was to free
the Negro llr. Dlxons proposition
is to re-enslave him. for no slavery
is more CALLING and oppressive than
that of industrial slavery.
Mr.. Dixon says further
The truth which is gradually
forcing itself upon thoughtful stu
dents OF our national life is that no
scheme of education or religion can
solve the race problem. and that Mr..
Booker T. Washington's plan. how
ever high and noble. can only inten-
sify It's difficulties.
This conviction Is based on a few big
fundamental facts, which no pooh
pooling. ostrich-dodging. weak-mind
- philanthropy or political rant can
obscure.
The first one is that no amount of
education OF any kind. industrial.
classical or religious. can make a
Negro a white man or bridge the
chasm of the centuries which sepa-
rate him from the white man In the
evolution Of human civilization.
Expressed even in the most bru-
tai terms OF Anglo-SaXon superiori-
IS there is here an irreducible fact.
10 Is possibly true, as the Negro
Professor Kelly Miller. claims. that
the Anglo-Saxon Is the most AFRO
CANT and rapaclous, the most exclu-
sive and intolerant race in history.
Even so, what answer can be given
to his cold-hlooded proposition:
can YOU change the color Of a Ne
gro's skin, the kink of his hair the
bulge OF his lip or the beat of his
heart with speiling-book or ma
chine?"
But enough for this week. We
shall deal with that phase of the
question in our next issue.