Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-06-10

after sufficient length of time the
road must be sold or abandoned.
The representative of the street-car
company in this city admitted that
the lines could not be successfully
run without the support and coop
GRAFTON OF the colored people. This
admission was not necessary to
those well informed colored men.
who had taken the trouble TO use
pencil and paper in dealing with
the facts. IL was a self-evident
proposition. Worked out TO its
logical conclusion. il meant that you
colored people can handicap the op-
Grafton of our lines to such an eX-
tent as 20 force as to terms. and com
pei the abandonment of tie schemes
we have already outlined.
The street-car company was hgur-
ing upon the great characteristic
Of the average colored man, the
spirit of division. which causes one
portion of them to go in the opposite
direction from that taken by the
other portion. It was a question as
TO which side would control the
larger number of the people. Tt
was ascertained then that walking
produced sickness although God in
His wisdom and goodness had pro
vided the average colored person
with as big a pair of feet as any 9TH
or race of people on the face of the
globe and had blessed him with the
Information how TO use them.
il was argued that the sun was
too hot and that deaths from sun
stroke would ensue. although it is
known that colored folks can stand
stronger rays OF the sun on the bare
head than any people known to mod
ern times. Tt was argued that
cheap transportation must DE OBJ
tanned at AN hazards. although IL
was evident that cheaper transpor-
tation could DE obtained at no ex-
pense whatever. They could walk.
Many colored people. including
some leaders among the colored
people we.o permitted to ride free.
with the idea OF inducing others 20
accept the streot-car compau .cs
mode of transportation.
Despite all of these temptations
hundreds have refused Go return to
the street-car method Of transporta-
ton. Some ride only when abso-
lutte necessity forces them. Others
use 10 90 carry boxes and bundles.
regarding this as a method TO get
even.
The Clay Street line formerly car
ried colored people to such an ex-
tent as 90 be rammed. iammed and
packed. with even standing room at
a premium Now seats can De Sc
cured az any hour Of The day. so FAR
as coiored people are concerned.
II the present system continues and
the patronage of the colored people
does not increase. the street-car com
pany will not be able TO meet its OBJ
legations in thousand years.
The key TO the situation then has
been given. 10 is in the hands of
the colored people Of Florida as it
is in the hands Of those elsewhere.
II they can control the situation. so
far as the colored are concerned.
they can win the fight. We note
with interest the statement that
the colored street-car company OF
Jacksonville is also a sufferer and
that the colored have already be-
gun 20 boycott their own line. It
is the irony of fate. II colored peo-
pie were organized and persistent In
the contention for their rights and
their leaders were united. the result
could be told even before the first
gun Of bloOdless battle had been
fired from the ramparts.