Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-08-16

SATURDAY. AUGUST 1G, 1919
TAFT SAYS SYMPATHETIC AID
TO NEGRO WILL HALF KIOTING.
Traces Outbreaks to Migration From
the South and reports Of Colorcd
Troops Treatment i'll France
Points Out Lessons for Leaders OF
Both ItaCcs-Dcplorcs "Direct Act
ion'-Asscrts Clashes Must Be Sup
pressed Quickly With Military
Force 49,
By William Howard Taft.)
a thoughtful. patriotic Southern
leader, writing TO Il Northern friend
after the Booker Washington lunch
con and tho discussion in tho South
crn press which followed, said his at
titutdc was illustrated by the answer
of countryman TO an inquiry Of o
traveller as to how the Indian
name of creek, which he had been
Obliged to cross many times. was
spelled. The countryman said:
oval, stranger, some spells it one
way and some do spell it another.
But in my Judgment there air no
right way to spell it," To many pco-
pie the problem is insolublc and tho
riots in Chicago and elsewhere serve
to confirm them i'll their view, But
we should not be so faint hearted.
Exceptional conditions have prccipi'
tatcd these outbreaks and are not
likely to continue unabatcd
MIGRATION CREATED CONGES-
TON.
The migration of Southern Ne
grocs to the Northern cities, induced
by the prospect of very high wages
and stimulated by Southern facili-
and stimulated by Southern discrim
inations in educational facilities and
in the administration OF justice,
has created a congestion and
lack OF proper housing in such cities
Then the stories of tho treatment Of
the colorcd troops in France some
of them unfortunately true, have been
given widespread publicity among
the Negroes in this country.
Some Official communications from
cign of. against social familiari
~ 18th American Negro officers.
though subsequently disavowcd by the
commander inchicf were printed and
widely circulated by the clorcd press
Editorials dwelt on the heartlcssness
of race prejudice which persisted
oven when Negroes were shedding
their lifc's blood for their country
which even the government they were
dying to save was encouraging.
LEADERS IN TWO CLASSES.
Negro leaders are divided into z
classcs-therc arc those who feel ms
deeply rs they can tho injustice and
heart misery arising from race pre-
judice, and they would restrain rs
far rs possible by legislation and sx
ccutive action such injustice, but
they believe that the real way to
amcliorate conditions Is to educate
the Negro for life by vocational nnd
character training, and by thus IN
creasing his value to his community
and himself to moderate and neutra
lie such prejudice. They preach and
cultivate self-restraint by the Negro
and sclrhcttermcnt. They deprecat0
much the inflaming of the souls OF
colorcd men against the white race.
oven when there are at hand we'll CO
tablished facts iustifying Indignation
and q deep sense Of wrong.
There are others, educated men.
who, with no restraint, have poured
out their agony Of soul and sense OF
outrage in addresses and editorials
and reused their fellow Negroes rs
they never have been reused before.
The lynchings, those horrible exh1bi
tions of blood lust against which NIL
good people are poining in apparently
hopeless protest, have lcito despero
ton among the blacks. The retired
Negro soldier, used to arms, return
ing from the war environment resent
ing the ingratitude he sees in all OF
this, Is prompted to "direct action"
to remedy his wrongs. He has heard
much of direct action" from other
groups seeking redress of their griev
ances. The general unrest is in harm
ony with his impulses.
INNOCENT ONES ARM SELVES.
oH Tic OtHCE sue We nave lHOSe
who looked with suspicion on any
source from which the supply Of
labor can be increased. The lower
in the scale of intelligence the strong
CIR their feeling against race they
glory in calling inferior.
Then the minute there is an out
break the lawless and the criminals.
coming out into the open like cock
reaches at night, join in the quarrel
with avidity and divide by color. Thus
tho riot. beginning in a single quar-
ter develops formidable proper
tions. Innocent people of both races,
frightened by reports arm thcmselv
es for protection and we have a sit
uation deplorable indeed.
The evidence seems to show, as
ie ''""',lly the case that in Chicago
ties We're the aggressors and
I'd mans inhumanity to man
lin" Negro lad into n watery
S. I've had passed q sup