Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-03-28


pounded TO him by Bishop Alexan-
der Walters, pleading that II was
not according to the rules OF the
game.
II may be that some of our people
have failed to realize the vital i'm
portance OF this question at issue.
Let us draw another illustration. A
colored man of family is charged
with burning a white mans house.
He is merely suspected on account
OF some previous disagreements be-
tween them. He declares that he is
innocent, that he was at his own
home when the alleged crime was
committed and that ne can establish
that fact by the testimony Of his wife
and children. His captors refuse to
credit such testimony and take him
out 70 the limb Of a tree where a
rope is soon in position and the moose
is adjusted about his neck. He is
told 20 prove his innocence. although
they haye no evidence TO establish
his guilt
This mode Of procedure is called
lynch-law. because II IS directly con-
trary to statute law as in force in
civilized countries. Let US pursue
the illustration further The town
of Brownsville was said TO have been
"shot-up" and the commandant OF
Fort Brown stated that it was the
opinion that the fort was being at
tackled by Texas citizens. It has
beer impossible to ascertain the in
dividual persons whether citizens or
soldiers, who did the shooting. The
Senate Committee unanimously agree
upon this point.
President Roosevelt. though has
already punished 167 individuals
soldiers, citizens or whatever you
choose to call them and they are as
yet under punishment They have
been illegally executed" although
the life is not out OF their bodies.
They are "killed- SO far as their Of
fetal lives are concerned. because
they did not prove their innocence
70 his satisfaction. He now comes
forward with the same proposition
that they be required 60 prove their
innocence as individuals. although he
has been unable 10 prove their guilt
as individuals.
To our mind. this is a predicament
the like OF which has never been seen
I'm this country. White men would
not submit TO it for a minute and we
see no reason why colored men
should tolerate it for that length OF
time. This is no time TO plead
for mercy Il is time though
to demand rights. We should find
out whether we are living in the
realm OF a Car. or the domain of
President Our hope is with the
doubtful States. provided the next
Republican Convention accept this
dictum of the distinguished occupant
OF the White House. With us, it is
not "A political question. it is an issue
OF human rights. We want no more
than the law allows and we should
accept no less.
Colored men who have read his
tory and studied law are not yeS
ready to accept such an innovation
In the way that it is presented. The
great State of Texas released the
colored members OF the battalion be-
cause il did not nave sufficient evil
dence TO convict them. IL did not
demand that the twelve men or there
abouts arrested should prove their
innocence. but found that the citi-
zens OF Brownsville were unable TO
prove their guilt. II has often been
said that He'll and Texas are synon-
ymous. but in this case. the Lone
Star State dealt out more justice to
the Negroes than did the great oc-
cupant of the White House, for he
punished one hundred and sixty-sev-
en- individuals for the onenses al
legged 10 have been committed by
not more than twelve of them.
IL is no wonder then that the cry.
Remember Brownsville" will echo
and re-echO from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, from Canada 20 the Gulf. A.
long side of it. all other issues will
be forgotten. The Negroes are de-
termined TO support the Devil him.
self in preference to his chief lieut.
enant- During a residence in this
State for a lifetime, we have never
known a Democratic Executive in
this State TO require a Negro to prove
his innocence in a court of law, but
every Supreme Court decision here
has been that the wealth
shall prove his guilt.
So true is it that in the case OF
the alleged Accomac County rioters
new trials were granted to J. d. W.
gle. S. l.. Burton and Sylvanus Con-
quest on the primary grounds that
the State had not established their
guilt and that the unrest in the com
made it impossible for them
to secure a fair and impartial trial