Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-05-18

and four other colored people sleep
ing in the front room, the time for
the repetition of the question seems
TO be at hand.
Mr.. Cooks body was blown so
feet away and was nothing more
than a mass of flesh and bones. It
was found lodged in the forks OF
tree. The body of a colored woman
who was I'm the house was blown a
hundred feet or more in the air, fall
ing through the branches OF a nigh
tree and swapping the wires of a tel
egraph line before it finally struck
the ground Even the body OF a
young baby was blown into a street
nearby and two girls were blown into
a fence corner some distance away,
where they were found. one stu a.
live. The latter fingered but a
short time before she too passed a.
way.
The entire town was shaken by
the explosion. which partook OF the
nature OF an earth quake. The au-
thorities are endeayoring to ferret
out the guilty parties. but this like
many other tragedies i'm this section
OF the country viii be a closed chap
ter. Those who know dare not tell
and those VINO do not know dare not
investigate too closely for fear of a
similar fate.
We wonder 30 President Roosevelt
whose indignation was so thoroughly
aroused over the alleged shooting up
of Brownsville. Texas has read this
account of dendishness En- the SOW
ereign state of Louisiana. He mas
lectured as concerning crime: what
win he have to say relative to this
latest phase Of savagery i'm the sis
ter state to Texas?
Here is man-murder. womou-mur-
der and bahy-murder. i was not
done by Negroes and white people
were not the victims. Search the
records of the Dark Ages and find
more atrocious outrage than this one
appears Co De President Roosevelt
could "boot" out of the army of the
United States colored men confessed
ly innocent and me could deny TO
them even the semblance of near
ing. but here ne has a case Where
men, women and children. innocent
OF any wrong doing have been ush-
cred into eternity without mo-
ment's warming.
This occurs too I'm q state where
the Negroes are disfranchised and
helpless. They have practically no
legal rights that q white man IS
bound TO respect. They must rest
their cases with those liberal mind
cd white men of the old school. who
viii az times hear their pleas and
come to- their defense In this case
they were not given the opportunity
to breathe "a prayer or 90 send mp a
suppucation. The babe in the era
die was not even spared.
But President Roosevelt does not
seem 90 stop 90 consider these things
The plea of Justification for the Ne
gro. and the petition Of mercy seems
not 20 be heard "in his court" one
thing we know and it gives every true
believer confidence. God mas prom
Used to bring an things right I'm His
own time and He has assured as that
Eternal Justice viii surely exercise
itself on the guilty and "set the cap
tive free"
There is a vail and a moan now
being heard over this sunny land
and the prayers of the righteous are
ascending TO the throne on niga.
The terrible outrage viii be q closed
book, $50 20 speak and the murderers
VIII not be apprehended until the
morning Of the General Resurrection
but it does seem to as that a dis
tingulshed statesman of the Roose-
welt type should be able to lay aside
the mantle of the politician and the
garb OF statesman long enough 10
do simple justice TO men. who were
once his comrades-in-arms
The siren voice of the tempter has
led him far enough astray and it is
time that he was doing right and do
, it now. IL the recital of this bloody
happening in Louisiana does not
bring him back to his primitive ut
terauces and re-establish him upon
the pedestal of his former greatness.
then the case. so far as he is CON
cerned is hopeless.
Colored men must protect them
selves and they must possess the ne
cessary weapons with which to
do il. We are living in a lawless
section of the country, surrounded
by many envious white elements and
the support and encouragement OF
many of the better class of Southern
white men only increases their dew
ilish hate and fiendish Jealousy. We
can at least be brave Let us look
10 God and depend on our own weak