Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-02-23

10 us. That he has been swayed by
his southern advisers hardly admits
OF a question. We do not know a
white citizen of prominence in this
state. who under similar circumstan
ces would have acted as did he.
We feel 10 DAY that Governor
Swanson. the Chief Executive Of
this state would have been more II
beral We have a vivid recollection
OF the action OF the late Gov. Caas.
r O'Ferran, in Drawing the senti
ment OF the entire state and ssnding
troops TO Lunenburg County, Va
to protect from a mob, a man and
three women. charged with the muir
der of Mrs. Lucy Jane Pollard He
carried out the guarantees of the
Bill OF Rights of Virginia and the
women, although at one time con
victed were finally acquitted
Equally as outspoken and as lib
eral minded was Judge Asa d. Wat
kins of Prince Edward county and
Judge Crute. All of them were rock
ribbed Democrats and we .vouchsafe
the opinion that before none Of them
would IL have been as difficult q
matter TO get a rehearing as e has
been before the Chief Executive Of
the nation. We repeat. President
Roosevelt has leaned too far hack
ward in this matter and he has lost
mis- balance
when we see Democrats i'm hich
favor at Washington and colored
men walking around with bowed
heads in the presence of a Repub-
ucan President. while letter from
a Democratic Senator viii secure an
audience with the Chief Executive
quicker than a nod from the Repub-
Hcan representatives from some 9TH
or states. &c leads us to ask. what
does il all mean and If the new party
now being formed or organized is
composed of both Democrats and
Republicans or has the millennium
about come 20 haud2
We know by careful observation
that favors in Virginia come from
the Democratic delegation in this
state rather than through the Re
publican organization in the same
state and that an endorsation by
the Democratic interests. counter
signed by the Democratic Senators
viii unlock the reoeptacles OF politi-
f..f
can be done by any other method.
So It is fin Texas. Senator Gull
berson and Senator Bailey are ali
powerful at the White House and as
"a result President Roosevelt is
foundering around In the middle OF
that Brownsville, Texas enquiry.
We feel confident that the matter
will be so sifted as 10 give the coun-
try an insight into the Injustice
done these colored soldiers. II has
been established that they did not
nave the guns with which to do the
firing. II has been established
that they did not use the am
munition OF the government in
any OF the Springfield rifles that
they did have. and IL has been
shown that the injury to the people
Of Brownsville was at the hands OF
persons other than those inside OF
the Fort
Soldiers can tell the make OF
rife fred and the evidence shove
that Mausers. Remingtons and
small arms were used in the on
slaught upon the barracks Of Uncle
Sam. il President Roosevelt can
Justify his action in the premises ne
stands forth as a monument 20 stub
bornness. the brunt OF which has
been borne for a century by the
long-eared kind. The situation is
unfortunate. while his enemies re-
joice.
We have never believed he loved
the Negro. but we have always
thought that he loved justice. His
recognition OF us in our opinion has
always been a garland laid upon the
brow OF a square deal" Coloresi
people who imagine that because
white men vouchsafe them justice.
they necessarily love our race are
mistaken. There are numbers Of
white men. who treat us right for
justices sake. They would treat
the people of any other race in the
same way. There are others who
like and love US and who are inner
emily interested in our welfare
They are few and far between, how
ever. and within our range OF Wis
ion, we cannot see one now either
on this side or on the rim OF the
horizon.
Human nature is well-nigh the
same the world over. Men are NOV
ed by motives and impulses.-some
are good and some are bad. The
Wendell Phillips, the Charles Sum
ners. the William Lloyd Garrisons
and others of a similar mold died
years ago and they left but few TO