Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-03-16

they are not in sufficient numbers 70
do away with the most dangerous
aspects of that question but undoubt-
eddy they also temper every aspect
Of a question which, but for them,
would long since nave become intol-
cradle.
But tho class Of which he COM
plains. the shiftless. loafing. ignor-
ant disreputable class to which he
refers exists in all races. The pro-
portion amongst as is greater for
. the reason that Or. Pages ancestors
made &c possible. They brutalized
MS in a greater ratio than they civil
lied us. If correct living and cody
conduct is to be the gauge by which
this condition is to be measured.
The house servant Negro Jared well,
but the corn-feld Negro was left to
his appetites and his labor.
The herding of sheep. the round
ing up of cattle are the only things
comparable with his condition. With
two hundred and fifty years of de-
moralizing slavery come forty-two
years of enlightened freedom and
pessimists of DIR. Pages stripe expect
a complete reformation and an abb
solute change almost "in one uightsi
time"
TO is impossible, sir. and yet the
day is breaking The schools and
colleges of the country are turningI
out a steady stream of colored men
and women VINO are rising on tneirl
dead selves, TO higher things"
III our depraved criminals are al
menace 90 the Southland our intel
lectuai iaboring elements are a bless
ing 20 its prosperity The statistics
show that tine Negroes of the South-l
land produce six hundred million
dollars i'm cotton. wheat. oats. corn.
tobacco. sugar-cane. potatoes and
other commodities per annum. am oil
which is added 20 the wealth of this
section
The report of Hon. Morton 1Iarye.
Auditor of Public Accounts for 1906l
shows that the Negroes OF Virginia.
VINO were ponniless at the close oil
the late Civil War now own 1.365, |
f26) one million. three hundred and /
siNty-dyo thousand. four hundred /
and twenty-six acres of land valued /
at ($5.S4A953) five million. eight
hundred and forty-four thousand !
nine hundred and ffty-three dollars. |
They own town lots to- the value
OF lS2.S19.533) two million. eight
hundred and nineteen thousand, hvel
hundred and thirty-throe dollars. |
They own buildings on them which, /
with the lots show q combined value |
of CSA910.662) four million. nine
hundred and ten thousand. six hun-l
dred and siXty-two dollars.
They own land. lots and buildings
TO- the value of (S1T27S.343) seven
teen million, two hundred and sew
cnty-eisht thousand. three hundred !
and forty three dollars. The Ne
groes of Virginia own personal pro- |
perty TO the value OF CS5.9S9.O4S)
five million. nine hundred and eighty
nine thousand and forty-eight dol. !
lars. The combined value of the
property. real and. personal owned |
hy the Negroes OF this state is (s23, |
267.39D twenty-three million. two
hundred and sixty-seven thousand,
three hundred and ninety-one dol /
lars.
when YOU realize that I'm assess
ing values, the fun amount is not
placed, DR.. Page, YOU are at liberty
to draw your own conclusions When !
&C. ifs known and admitted that this
producing Negro and not the lazy
one is really the bone of conten-
ton" on the part of the Negro !
haters it viii De realized fully why
existing conditions have become cal
most intolerable"
in business transactions with bus
mess white men, the business Negro
notes little but any discrimination.
and with the white men of DR..
Pages stripe there is hardly any
friction. But with the lower strata
Of prejudiced white men the case is
different and both the shiftless Ne
gro and the Industrious, wealth
producing one are the victims Of his
unreasoning prejudice.
DR. Page remarks:
Indeed, except when, as often
happens, Negroes are under the domi |
nation OF some passion. they are
amiable and docile enough. It is !
their liability 10 be infamed b. pas
sions which, in a more self-contained |
race, are kept in check, which rem
ders them so dangerous"
He says further:
The criticisms of the race. ex-
pressed by the writer in this and 9th
er papers on the subject. are min
gIeu with gVmnafhv for No.