Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-02-05

| mere are many fathers. who are
cooks. dining room servants, porters.
labOrers and in other callings. who
have spent their all upon their child
dren with the hope that they would
aspire TO higher things and be their
own bosses in higher professions,
who have been sadly disappointed by
having their offspring with all OF
their learning like a ship upon the
ocean without compass uncertain
as 90 which course TO pursue, finally
drop down at the old mans side and
perform the same service with an
education that he performs without
an education.
There were the things to which we
referred and we did it with hope
chat the race leaders would proceed
TO help themselves from within first
before attempting to help themselves
from without. or begin the help
ing process by dividing up our
forces and operating on both
sides at the same time Mr.. Stemons,
if he viii pardon as for the remark
is making the mistake OF all enthu-
siasts, and il may be that we too
have at some time been guilty of
the same indiscretion. He hopes TO
arouse an interest in a day and to
reform conditions in a year. The
point at which he is aiming is fur
Their away than ne imagines. IL viii
not De accomplished In one year or
in i've years or in ten years or in
twenty years. II is the work Of more
than two generations and We can
only begin the work. with the hope
that our future OF spring will finish
it,
The ringing OF hre-bells, the stir
ring up Of a few leaders will not In
our Judgment, bring about a change
in the conditions 20 which he refers.
10 must be the result of steady. or.
ganized effort on the part OF the
thoughtful men. both white and col
ored of the country. supplemented
by the support Of the parents OF the
rising generation, whose future Is
nov being outlined and whose hopes
may bee realized.
We must not fail to cry out against
our own weaknesses and spare not.
while az the same time voicing a pro
test against the GROWING infamies OF
this age. We grant that the white
people of this country or rather q
large proportion Of them are respon-
sible for our shortening In many
respects. but this does not alter the
fact that We. ourselves should as
sist i'm applying the remedy. We are
more interested ia finding d way TO
Dee relieved OF the burden OF this
death, than we are in ascertainiug
just who was responsible for its Wis
itation in our midst.
MT. Stemons denies some OF our
allegations and then proceeds 10 ad-
init the truthfulness Of them. But We
are not here to split hairs" as 20
language used. We co not intend TO
engage in any unseemly contention
II may be that MT. Stemons ia right
in an that he says. that he has a plan
that viii relieve existing conditions.
II he has. We shall not place as much
as a straw In the way OF his success.
Let him continue on 10 the end and
80 he succeeds In his mission along
the lines that he has mapped out. we
shall be happy and God will be glo-
rihed.
Mr.. StemOns may not believe Il.
but il is fact that the industrious
Negroes in the Southland are not
taking time 20 notice race prejudice.
They are too busy and they are
working along the lines OF making
progress and accommodating a compe.
tency. II is this fact alone that is
making the poorer classes of white
men in this section OF the country
frantic and they try TO stem the
onward tide OF progress OF the Ne
groes. by calling upon their repre-
sentatives in the legislatures OF the
several states to pass onerous and
oppressive laws 20 keep the Negroes
down.
In most cases they have their
troubles for their pains. for the Ne
groes now have the money with
which they are able TO employ JUS
tice-loving liberal minded white men
TO fight their cases from court to
court, stopping only when both sides
are apparently exhausted and II de
feated proceeding along some other
sheltered roads where the storms OF
race prejudice cannot come and the
winds OF race hatred cannot halt
the onward march OF this deter
mined. but truly remarkable race of
people.
The colored people Of Richmond
pay taxes on property. real and per