Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-08-18
THE NEGRO IS GOING
NORTH -VvHY?

The Southern newspapers are awak
ing in minor measure to their duty
IN calling halt against the chain
of in.quity being visited upon the
Afro-American portion Of the popula-
ton. True base selfishness lies on the
bottom OF the call; but it begins to
look like base scltishness is about
the only appeal which reaches the
Southern white. man, when it comes
to dealing with the Afro-American.
Just now few first-class Southern
white newspapers among them the
Dallas News, Houston Post, TT. Worth
Record, are telling some old estab-
lishcd truth about the cause OF the
unrest among the Afro-American and
his new found desire to go North.
These and few more newspapers
operated by white men, are telling
other white people and the world,
why the Afro-American is leaving the
South. While making out their case.
they incidentally tell of the grucsOme
conditions which have settled over
the South, wherever n colorcd person
is to be found. There arc colored
people who find In these dclivcrances
something for which to hope, touch
ing the manhood rights of the Afro
American. There arc members of the
Afro-Amerlcan population, who find
much comfort in n respectable white
person or newspaper, declaring that
lynching Should cease and that courts,
not mobs, should execute the law.
These colored men forget that a few
brave. patriotic, Christian hearted
white people like Windell Phillips,
Garrison, Lovejoy, Burney, Harriet.
Teacher Stowe Bob Ingersol, Abe
Lincoln, John Brown and others, have
always had tho courage Of their con
fotioas aaiSspokcN out for Justice,
but the residue or the white people
have always treated the colored man
as the inferior. OF all other clements
or the human family. Today, this Is
the universal practice OF the Ameri.
can white people (South) to word the
Negro, with scarcely an exception.
The contempt by Southern whites Is
so great for the Negro, until it is
positively embarrassing to come in
contact with or undertake to do any
business with them. There is the In.
fernal jim Crow law at every turn
affecting almost everything; there is
the disposition to treat lightly the
opinion of the Negro, even in matters
aiiccting his own exclusive welfare.
there is the idea that all racia, differ
ences OF whatever character should
DC settled to- suit the white man. in
business, trade and laborl the Negro
Is treated as commodity and in the
courts OF justice (D. the fact is no.
torlons that, equal rights and fair
play are not to he expected, where
the colorcd man and white man have
contest.
WE could go on rocOunting these
INEQUALITIES from morning till night
without reaching the end Of the chan.
Ter a case in point in this CITY is
me shameful neglect of the Negro in
the matter of providing parks and
pay grounds for cOlCred DcOple. Hun.
areas or thousands OF dollars have
Decn spent for the entertainment of
whites. while scarcely anything has
heen set aside for the use of the moro
than % 00C colored people Of the city:
Notwithstanding the fact that thew
pay taxes on a million and a half
doliars' worth OF property i'm the CITY
limits. Conditions in Dallas are not
materially different in other Southern
cities.
These are the causes which have
created unrest among the colored
people Of Texas and the South and
IN their effort to peaceably escape
them. they are leaving the South for
the North, where they hope to find a
better chance in the battlefield of life.
me Negro is advised that he is
not wanted North. He knows that he
Will meet in measure the same kind
OF opposition from the same race of
people. whether he behaves himself
or not, but in desperation, a large
number have come to the conclusion
that they can do no worse.
The Dallas Express has never IA
Vored a Wholesale emigration of the
Negro from the South. 1t does not
now. 1t believes that the conditions
which prevail in the South have been
created by tho white people. It be-.
lieves that they should remove these
conditions-unshackle the greatest
country beneath Gods sun. by giving
every man chance to be all that he
can be.
The time has come for character
and worth to count, whether its pos.
SCISSOR be white man or a black man
The better element Of the white peo.
pie generally have nothing to lose by
giving the colored man mans chance,
anu tHe SOoner lnGy reach this con.
clusion the better.
or course there are few lazy white
people who think that If the Negro is
given fair chance they will he dis
tanccd in the race upward. This Is
true. There are few ignorant whites
who are silly enough to think that
the Negro desires social equality, for
getful Of the fact that white men, al
most aXnInQivnIU tho xuho
Insist Of cohaDitating with Negro
women. Social equality IS an indi-
vtdnal idea, and the Law cannot regu.