Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-03-05
Is THE TIDE CHANGING?

the Negroes was on the Wane. One
OF these was the defeat of Hon. James
X. Vardaman by the legislature on
Mississippi. He based his campaign
upon his hatred Of the Negroes ana
over the length and breadth OF the
commonwealth told of his antipathy
to one of the humblest races of PEG
pie on the face of the globe.
He also denounced the educa-
tional institutions established for
their intellectual enlightenment
Just as the Negro leaders who preac.
the hatred of the white men of the
Southland have been side-tracked by
conservative colored people, so this
wide-mouthed Negotiating white
leader has been discounted by the
legislative combination that encom-
passed his defeat.
That Ex-Governor Vardaman was
strongly supported though was evi-
denced by the fact that he was o,
feated in the legislative caucus by
just five votes. For all practical pur-
poses though these surplus votes
were as good as a million. Il showed
that he carried the campaign too far
when he condemned the offspring OF
the black mammies. many OF whom
had been the playmates OF the white
men who now occupy seats in the
legislative halls Of Mississippi
The reports state that Mr.. Yarda.
man. when called before the legIsla.
ture spoke against the Negro. On the
other hand. Hon. Leroy Percy. who
was finally nominated took issue
with Mr. Vardaman on the Negro
question and declared him to be an
enemy OF progress and unworthy on
account of his radicalism to rep
sent the state in the United States
Senate
This caused as 90 make the en-
quiry as 20 whether the tide against
the Negroes was changing. We have
sounded the warning TO our north
ern colored friends that this day was
at hand. that we had reached the
darkest hour of the night of our ra-
cial misery and the dawn OF a bright
or and better day was az hand.
This change of sentiment is fur
ther evidenced 10y the remarkable
speech OF Senator James Gordon, de
liyered February "a, 1910, in the
United States Senate upon the occa-
sion of his retirement after a brief
service OF two months. II is dis
tinctivc in that il represents the ad-
vanced thinkers OF the Southland.
that element that is friendly toward
the colored race. even though IL
designates it as being the Negro or
"uigger"
To a high-strung northern citizen
OF color. the patronizing air Of the
old slavo-owner is aggravaung. He
cannot understand that love for one
Negro and dislike for another one
can exist in the same body. But it
cam Col Gordon declared that his
people didn't want to hurt the Ne
gro. lie might as we'll have said that
his kind OF class OF people did not
want 90 hurt him. What the Negroes
of the Southland need is the more
vigilant protection of those Negroes
who are now within the confines OF
the state of Mississippi
10 should not be forgotten too that
Col James Gordon (God bless himD
had i'm mind the Negro Of the old
school His mind was wandering back
TO his own plantation where the cot
ton skirt and the red bandana form
ed "a contrast in the cotton field or
in the land OF the sugar cane. He
saw in his minds eye some favorite
servant at the big-house with the
dozen or more little black pickanin-
MES playing around. With this pic
ture before him. he no doubt thought
OF his own family, the male and fe-
male members thereof. the friendly
feeling that they bore to the colored
people of the Gordon plantation.
IL was then he exclaimed, 1--WE
don't want 10 hurt the niger.
sim Gen. Gordon needs an intro
duction TO the new Negro, the pro
gressive, polite. obHging, educated
offspring of the black nanny. This
new individual is not known as a
niger" any more in polite society.
He has shed the swaddling clothes
OF his races deflement, and stands
under a fedora, a plug, or a silk hat
as either a professional or a business
man. His clients or patrons are Of
his own race and he is aiding in the
work Of bringing together the bet
ter class OF white people of the South
land and the better class of colored
people in that same section. He is
building up by the aid of the liberal