Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-11-30

and disposition not TO force him
self upon the white man. He was
advised to do this by the white man.
and now the white man unfavorably
criticizes him for doing what the
white man told him to do. The Ne
gro vsgrant and tramp commit the
same kind of crimes as are commit
ted by the white vagrant and tramp.
Mr.. Williams said furthes:
These thoughts suggest some sort
of common-sense remedies Of the
Negro question upon the criminal
side principally in the nature of
preventives. In the first place. they
suggest the rigid enforcement of va
grant laws and the Strengthening of
existing yagrant laws by new laws
wherever, in justice and right. they
need strengthening. In the second
place. they suggest a closing of all
low dives and brothels where the
vagrant, tramp and idle Negroes con
sort and where their imaginations-
they being peculiarly a race of imag-
nation and emotion-are inflamed
by whiskey. cocaine. and lewd pic
lures. IL must be remembered that
that which would not indame the l.
imagination OF white man will have
that effect upon the tropical, emo
tional nature of the darky.
There can Doe no valid objection to
this view Of the situation or the rem
edies suggested for a cure of the e.
wills. And again:
In the first place. I suggest that
we ought. Ike Canada and Cape Col
ony TO have mounted rural police
or coustabulary. whose duty it would
/ De TO patrol the country districts
| day and night They would. TO a
| certain extent take the place OF the
patrols the Southern States used to
have. We would. of course, find
some Inconvenience in that. The
white man hates 10 be held up on
the road TO give an account Of him
self. where ne lives and whittier he
| is going. but we must sacrifice some
thing TO meet the peculiar conditions
under which We live. Putting up
with that sort OF Inconvenience =
| but a slight sacrifice to make. i'm or
der 20 remove the sense of fear and
/ 20 give an assurance of safety to our
women, sometimes alone and unpro-
/ tected in their houses. while the
4 husband and father are in the field.
gone for the doctor OF otherwise ne
/ cessarily absent Above all things.
we must show common sense and
courage. and as much moderation
as possible. in dealing with each hap
pening as o. arises We must meet
each happening as 60 arises. with a
resolute determination TO protect. at
| an hazards. the sanCtity OF our
homes. anu DO &C. with as much mod
GRAFTON as the provOcauon admits of.
This would be another form of le-
galizing The might riders" and the
Ku-Klux-Kan. but let us presume
that the Negroes Of the Southland
can stand b. Certainly IL the ideas
OF Mr.. Williams were carried out in
good faith no honest, reputable peace
loving citizen OF color could object
to the innovation. He continued.
when we find good Negro we
must encourage him. 90 stay good
| and 90 grow better We are doing
too little Of that. The old adage.
Give q dog "A bad name and you
1 have made a bad dog" is a good
| one. lndiscriminate cursing OF
the whole Negro race. good and bad
! alike Included. is an exemplifcation
/ OF the 2dage. / have frequently
/ thought how hard it was for a good
| Negro. especially during campaign
| times, to stay good OF grow better
| when De could not come within sound
OF white speakers voice without
/ hearing his whole race indiscrimi-
nately reviled without mention OF
him as IN exception. even in the
/ neighhorhOod where he was known
10 De one. Whatever else is. or is
not. solution of this vexed problem.
this habit is not Justice goes hand
| in hand with power or else power
becomes tyranny To every white
man / would say in the words OF
Shakespeare: 1T is excellent 70 have
a glants strength. but e is tyrran-
nous Go use IL like a giant'-irration-
/ ally. We must and we will main
tain the supremacy Of the white
| mans law, even though sometimes
Il
unfortunately violated in order 20
maintain the supremacy Of its spirit.
We Will maintain in perpetuity the
integrity of the race and OF its civil
ization. To doubt that we can do
that, when the governors. sheriffs,
judges. and lawmakers are of our
race and elected by us is TO doubt
our own capacity for self-govern-
| ment
All, Hon. John Sharp Williams is
returnins TO his first love" He is
placing himself in the Negroes place
so TO speak, and thereby sympathiz-
ing with him in his pitiable condi-
ton. We can add nothing to this
appeal We leave it TO the mature
consideration of those who have in.
terested themselves in this rather
remarkable article from the pen OF
one Of he most diplomatic states
men In an of the Southland