Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-02-03


nous punishment. II was agreed
that the decision in the Pearson case
would settle the JamisOn case.
In the meantime. the Supreme
Court set January 18th. 1906 as the
day 70 hand down a decision in the
case. To the surprise of many peo-
pie. this state tribunal decided the
case. sustaining Judge Speer's rui-
ing and multiplying the action OF the
Macon authorities in placing Jami-
son and Pearson in the Bibb county
chaingang.
Counsel for Jamison. Mr.. Alex.
Alderman announced that the fine
would be paid and the Jamison case
dismissed. The point settled will
affect many other prisoners. Jami-
son could have been confined In
Jail. but ne could not lawfully be
forced TO work in the Changing
with prisoners charged with felonies.
Judge Emory Speer is. we believe
a Georgian. He possesses ali of
those fearless qualities for which
men OF that state are noted. He
risked being reversed by the SUI
preme Court and he has won a blood
! less victory that Will send his name
sounding throughout the ages. Men
Of this calibre are growing painfully
| less and il is TO be regretted that
their ranks are not being rapidly re
inforced. 1t was the principle for
which he was contending that won
out and it is all the more remarlIa-
Bile that he was upheld in Georgia
and turned down" in a sense at
Washington. II should teach the
average colored man a lesson. We
must make friends with the better
elements Of the white Southland
They have the stamina and the
nerve to stand up and be counted.
We should condemn he Negro
hating kind. We have no favors to
ask at their hands We believe
that ultimately colored men will be
accorded all Of their rights and priv
ileges through the medium we have
/ just cited. When q Southern white
man is for you. he is for you all the
way through. There is no halfway
business about Il. When he is a
gainst YOU ne emphasizes his con
victions in the same way.
II is surprising and It is TO be re-
GREETED that the opinion OF Judge
Emory Speer OF Georgia in this Jam
ison case was not the opinion OF the
Supreme tribunal at Washington.
Reverberatins from ono section
OF Georgia to the other. echoed AMI
re-echoed from the Atlantic TO the
Pacific and from Canada 10 the Gulf
sending its intonations and empha-
sizing its truth in every ray OF sun
shine in the day and every starry
sentinel IN the night sounds forth
the language of this distinguished
jurist:
commissioner, who was familiar
gang, testified that in his opinion,
while a sentence there would forev-
er ruin a white man previously re
spectacle IL hai no such effect on a
respectable Negro. Such considera-
tons do not appeal to a court
charged with the equal enforcement
OF the law. Nor do ] believe that
they meet the appreciation OF the re
necJing people Of the Southern
states. Nor are such sentiments
conducive TO our welfare or hopeful
for our future. Twenty-one years
ago, when at the bar, In an argument
TO jury, in the great case OF Ex-
parte Marlborough, / declared tae
conviction that:
Never in the history OF the world
has any considerable class OF people
been debased and degraded by force
and lawlessness, but that the entire
people suffered because OF that de-
graduation. The white people OF this
country control the government,
state and federal They enjoy ev-
cry conceivable advantage. They
have superiority in wealth, educa-
ton, social influence, everything. A
magnanimous people.a Just people,
they owe IL TO themselves 10 be mag
unanimous and Just to the colored
people"
It was true then. It is true
now. ! further declared:
For my part. love my country
] am proud of its traditions I glory
in the heroism and manhood OF its
people. ! know that they despise
cruelty and barbarity 70 the helpless
and oppressed" This was true
then. 1t is true now. Though the
color line expert may so paint it.
this is no color line case. 1t is a
Negro today. II may be a white
man, aye, white child or a white
woman tomorrow. In this court the
law is equal for all
! Judgment absolute will be order.
ed in favor of the petitioner and b,
Will be discharged from custody and
be permitted to go hence.