Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-08-27


be might seek, he would always ind
the negro element solidly allied with
his support
The cheering which greeted this
declaration had hardly abated when
Booker L. Washington, chairman Of
the meeting, advanced TO the front
OF the platform and urged that all
IN sympathy with the sentiment ex-
pressed by Bishop Clinton rise to
their feet. The entire assemblage
arose amid renewed cheering.
Now We ask in all candor. could
any leader in that assemblage. not
excepting the most distinguished Ne.
gro i'm all of this land. we refer to
F. Or. Booker r. Washington. pledge
the solid support of the colored PEG
pie OF this country TO ex-President
Roosevelt II il could not be done.
what was the use OF saving chat IL
could be done or of leading any one
i'm tuat vast assemblage to believe
that il could be done. We are am the
more amazed that Dr. Washington
took up the suggestion where Bishop
Clinton left OF and emphasized all
that he was enthusiastic enough TO
say. Both OF these gentlemen could
pledge the National Negro Business
League aud its many branches. but
certainly not the solid support OF the
colored people outside of this or.
gauization. tt seems to us that this
was the only vital blunder made by
this great organization.
IL would have done well i'm our
judgment to have taken lessons from
the National Negro Political League
which met i'm Atlantic City. y. j.. |
August 4, 1910. That body has made
q similar blunder in days past and
gone. but they avoided il this time
and enunciated declaration of /
principles that can be endorsed by
every cOlored man iu the United
States. including those who belong I
TO the National Negro Business
League. But is it possible that Bishop /
Clinton's statement and DR.. Booker
T. Washington's call for a rising
vote referred to things political?
We would certainly like to be ad-
vised as to this phase of the situa.
ton. But what did ex-President
Roosevelt say? The report that is
given the widest circulation reads as
follows:
In his address. Colonel Roosevelt
urged his hearers to practice the doc
trine OF self-help. He condemned the
false prophets who preached envy and
bitterness, aud counseled the negroes
TO make the most OF the many
opportunities already opened TO them.
Colonel Roosevelt. speaking before
the delegates TO the league. counseled
his hearers 10 make the most OF their
opportunities.
The white man OF the South"
said Mr.. Roosevelt. ''is the vital man
20 have sympathy with the negro.
When your neighbOr likes and re
spects YOU. YOU have won your bat
tie. The white man Of the North
does his worst work in interfering
between the two peoples OF the
South, and his best WORK when he
improves their relations.
! would not slur over the injustice
with which good colored men are
treated. but feel that the really sub
stantial way Of conquering injustice
is TO train your people 50 that the
white man Will, Willy niliy, recognize
in his colored neighbor a desirable
neighbor. Every doWn-at-the-heeL
ramshackle negro cabin is not only
bad for the people who live in Il,
but is reflection on the race.
The man who lives In a ne'er-do-
we'll life Of idleness is doing not only
III 70 himself. but TO his people. I
believe ia this league. AS wrote
five years ago, when / was President.
/ believe Ia az because IL is out OF
politics. You also stimulate among
your people principles Of business en-
terprise. That is well. You recog- :
nize that you should build a firm
foundation before you can erect your ,
superstructure.
All OF this sounds mighty good
and il is information that has been !
given us many times. 1t only re-
mains for us to act upon it and this
is just what the far-seeing colored !
men, of the kind and type Of those c
the National Negro Bust
ness League are doing. They know
the value OF self-help and they know q
the untold benefit of the friendship
and encouragement OF the better {
class OF white people in the South c
land. All they want is an American '
citizens chance. without the handi-
cap of color thrown into the equa- q
tion against them They want a c
square deal. a thing that Companies c
B, and ID of the Twenty-hfth United ,
States Infantry did not get, when
more than one hundred and fifty or /
them were driven from the service I
for an offense which all of them could |
not have committed.
They do not like the doctrine that
the citizenship of an Afro-American Q
is modified by his color, a position !
IN raropT