Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-07-28
Ice done the working men.

vice uOHe the WORKING men.
"But the first consideration Is to
stop and to punish lawless and muir.
derous violence. Lawless violence
inevitably breeds lawless violence in
return, and the first duty of the gov.
ernment is relentlessly to put stop
to the violence and then to deal
firmly and wisely with all the condi.
items that led up to the violence. II
black men are lawlessly and brutally
murdered, in the end the effect is to
produce lawlessness among brutal
blacks.
1--WE hope to advance throughout the
world the peace of righteousness and
brotherhood; surely we can best do
so when we insist upon this peace Of
righteousness and brotherhood within
our own borders.
I'm procuring such peace the first
essential is to guarantee to every man
Tie most elementary of rights, the
right to his own life. Murder is not
debatable. >
I have just received business let
ter from an organization styling it.
self the Industrial Council of Kansas
Clty,' and claiming to be affiliated with
the Federation Of Labor, which states
that l accused organized labor of be.
ing responsible for the outrages of
East st. Louis. l made no such accu.
sation until the fact that there was
at least measure of truth in the
accusation had been in effect set forth
Ill the speech by the special represent.
atiVe OF organized labor at the meet
Ing at which ! spoke and by the tele.
gram quoted in that speech
whenever I have the power I will
protect the white man against tho
DIack wrongdoer, and the black man
against the white wrongdoer; will
as far as l have the power, procure
justice for the laboring man who is
wronged by the man of property. and
LOT every man, whether he has prop.
erty or not, II he is menace by law
less violence; and when I haven't the
power, | WILL at least raise my voice
III protest If there Is at least chance
OF that protest doing good.
I'VE are at this moment at war with
a most formidable and ruthless enc
my. We are fighting for our dearest
rights; we are fighting for the rights
or all self-respecting and civilized ma
lions 10 liberty and self-government.
W '"'0 uShioHdeu lHdJ the Negro
submit to the draft and do his share
Of the fighting exactly as the white
man does. Surely, when such is the
case, we should give him the same
protection by the law that we give to
the white man. All Of us who are fit
to fight are to serve as soldiers, Shout
der to shoulder, whether we are farm.
ers or townsfolk, whether we are
working men or professional men, men
who employ others or men who are
employed by others.
We fight for the same country. we
are loyal to the same flag; we are all
n.lke eager to pay with our bodies In
order to serve the high ideals which
those who founded and preserved this
nation believed 1t our mission to up-
hold throughout the world. Surely,
In such case 1t is our duty to treat
all our fellow countrymen, rich or
poor, black or white, with Justice and
mercy, and, so far as may be, In a
spirit of brotherly kindness
The victims Of the mob in East st.
Louis were very humble people. They
We're slain, and tha' s'.ss''',84' 4. y, ,r~,r as
riots IN New -. /. Ia. Il ng etheS., Z.
war, Lincoln, addressing working
mems association, singled out as the
saudest features Of the riots the kill.
ing OF some working people by ther
working people,"