Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-02-16
TELLS CAUSE OF GREAT
MIGRATION.
Southern Minister Writes Real Causes
Of the Negro Exodus.
South Likened to Lower Regions Ne
groeS in Constant Dread
A REGULAR HELL"

South Llkened to Lower 'IiegionS Ne
groeS in Constant Dread.
That conditions affecting the race
in some parts OF the South are almost
fntolerable Is expressed in letter
written by minister by Dean William
Plckens, of Morgan College recently.
The minister, whose name Is with
neld,, Tor his own safety, declares that
whipping has become pastime,"
ana Negroes are compelled to steal
away In the night if it becomes known
that he Is leaving f1r the North. Tho
letter, which Is printed below, gives
the REAL cause for the great migrat
ion towards the North by hundreds of
thousands OF black men who arc anX--
ious that they may enjoy "life lib.
erty and the pursuit Of happiness"
The letter follows:
My Dear Sir:
believing that you might get our
many prosecutions and inhuman treat
ment in some reputable newspaper,
where such can be seen by the public
l give you some of the few happenings
over III the Delta, where so many of
the Negroes are leaving and others
want to leave. When l say want to
leave mean to say no end Of the big
land ordS shut down their gins as
early rs December 18TH and have up
to this date refused to gin the whole
crop OF cotton as they well knew that
the Negroes were preparing to bid
mississippi farewell Being minister
and insurance man, my work carries
me far and near and l have seen
moro punishment heaped upon my
people than ever before in my life.
IS for cr1ps-it is simply taken
from tiltM a. pr.co., 10 suit tho WHITE
landlords II he wants, to a low q Ne
gro from Is to 20 cents, why, that
is all to it; matters not il the colorcd
man can ship his cotton an get 40
and 80 cents for it it matters not If
the cotton Is raised on the landlords
place. This kind Of action Is being
given the Negro both in Arkansas and
Mississippi-in the Delta part Of each
State. In q number OF cases tho land
lord just says to "John,' I will allow
You $50 Or $75 for your bale Of cotton
and that settles the matter. Yet John"
Is cramped to death, but is afraid to
say word for his protection.
So in order to hamper the Negro,
all kinds OF receptions are practiced
to keep him or. tho Deta farms, in
M@is Instances by Judges, shorlEfs,
justices OF the peace autf ertE... kind
OF state officer.
The Bone Dry Law is a new leader
for further inhuman treatment Of the
Negro as well as untold humiliations
III company with Il number OF preach
ers | came up from Leland to Clevc-
land, Miss, a few nights ago, getting
there about two o'clock a. NJ, and
had to wait until 4:30 for another
train. While we were waiting (there
were about As in the partly two white
men came in posing as officers, flash
ing REVIEWERS and kicking our grips
over and over, using all kinds Of oaths
and making threats Finally a grip
was found with some liquor in it Ono
one in our party owned it, they car
ried it outside the depot, drank the
liquor and threw the suitcase and its
contents on the ground. They came
About two weeks ago, white man
at Shelby had sent a colored man to
Vicksburg for two quarts o. whiskey,
and on getting off the train, a few
dirty Italians ordered him to stop.
Because no did not comply they shot
him to DEATH, ! 1 ni8l
At Holywoods, Miss, a few weeks
ago, the white doctor at that place
killed leading colored man about IL
o'clock in the day for merely disput-.
ing a small account. He was shot
three times in the back and after he
had fallen the agent battered his
head with an axe handle. This was
done right in front of a large store
owned by the high sheriff of the coun
ty (Tunica.) Is
At no end Of places in the Delta tho
ordinary laborer must run off by
night If it is known he is going to
stay away.
Whipping Negroes has got to be a
mere pastime. was down near Mound
Bayou, Miss, few days ago, and
was told that white bully III the
person Of one jim Thomas, had just
been to Mound Bayou from Merigold
Miss, and had occasion to be at the
store Of one l. Brooks and wanted
to call up long distance and on being
told by the colored operator that such
calls must be at the Exchange unless
sanctioned by the owner Of the local
telephone, he went over to the EX--
change pulled out his gun, put it i'll
the face Of the operator, and told him
to put in that call, and that he had a
great notion to blow out his brains.
I was further told that such men as
Charles Banks and others were stand
ing on the outside Of the office and
heard all this 60 on, but they knew
they were powerless.
My dear sir, l SEQ nothing for our
race to do but leave this part OF the
country. see nothing but slavery for
us. Our treatment should be known
to the world. What I have tried to
say Is but a bubble-and yet with all
Of this kind Of treatment, some Of our
would-be-leaders are telling us to
stay here.
REV. s. M. II. I