Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-11-08

hr. JOhn Mitchell, Jr.,
Richmond, Va, u. S. A.
Dear Sir:
| have good and substantial evil
dcncc of the genuine and very last
ing service which you have rendered
to tho cause Of your race and coun-
try during these last ten years or so. |
| doubt very much about your exact
estimation of its effect; yet, giving
you full credit us a practical man in
several very important lines of So
cial and economic life, | do not be-
licve that your habitual modcsty has
even permitted you to credit yourself
and organ with such potent facts. ]
am very sure that you have been
heard and respected in places and by
people whom YOU do give yourself
the credit Of being able to demand
their attentions. Surely you were
more unconscious of this fact when
YOU wore doing the work than what
YOU arc now. You are not blind nor
deaf neither with feeling.
Changes Made Recently.
You have observed some changes
mado upon the race question during
the said period. which very few pco-
pie would have thought possible by
time. But it is not enough to only
remind you OF this fact. | rather
wish to call your attention to the
great possibility of doing either good
or bad with Il very little cxcrtion,
when conditions are ripo for it.
Your position is like that of q man
behind very powerful gun, where,
by only the pulling OF the trigger or
the touching of button, you may
save an army or Il nation, or vice
versa, only If YOU act at the primo
moment and under the proper con-
ditions.
Facts Rarely Understood.
These are facts rarely understood
or regarded by colorcd mon who
stand in the place of leaders of their
race. l will say this very particu-
larly about the late Booker II. WASH
lngton, who was considered to voice
the sentiment of the colorcd Amcri-
cans for about 27 years by his own
published counting, while in reality
he was not a man who consulted
win colorcd men. He took, not
counsel with white men, upon the
race subject, but orders from certain
or them, which he promptly die
tatcd to colorcd people and in which
persuaded uniformed whites to be-
lieve in and to conform. Although
unconscious Of the full amount of
damage which he was doing, he was
not wholly innocent OF CHS sins)
Wlllfully putting colored people
wholly at the mercy OF white ones,
regardless OF other conditions when
1t was in his power to do it. Such
was the founding of the Tuskegce
Institute and all of it's patronage.
That Peculiar Spirit.
1t is tho spirit which called il into
existence and that which maintains
1t until this present hour. 1t will
take long time to overcome it's bad
erect. What about those who were
practically created and nurtured by
II? | know that you and your organ
arc thermometers, and that Rich
mond is the capital of Virginia, and
once the capital of the proslavcry
confederate States, which fought
four long and bitter years to uphold
the idea of Droslavcry. [ doubt to-
day if it is not greatly regarded as
inc center of popular Southern
thought upon this matter even to-
day. And when Richmond openlv
condemns Or approves of awning
which pertains to Southern thought
or manners, you will find that other
much harshcr districts will find 4
way to fall in line.
Washington Affected.
Even the city of Washington, d.
T., Will DO affected with the result
having this in mind, l do not forget
mat MIR. Booker II. washington was
in Il,
was called to Alabama and paid bv
the State government. because no
seemed to be bettor prepared than
any other Of your colorcd people 10
no the exact will of the white people
OF Alabama, which was in unison
with That OF Richmond When any
man convince tho white people of
virginia and Richmond that it is to
thclr advantage that the colorcd peo-
pie OF the United States be raised TO
higher social and political plane,
why the senators from the Carolinas.
mississippi, Georgia, and even from
ieNas, Will make themselves heard
IN their assemblies in washington.
ana from that means will be created
to better things The fame of
Booker II. Washington had about
reached the world around as the
proper esponscr of conditions under
winch Negroes should live. BY
whom was this beautiful apostolic
tion carried if not by tho good au
thority which acts from Richmond.
va, and those who follow their
lead? Your arguments upon the
social and economical subject which
Keeps the white and colorcd people
of America were so convincie that
hlchmond did not protest but rather
approved of its greater part. Hence
society of the leading spirits of
strictly white universities was GRO
atcd about The year OF nineteen
hundred and twelve (1912) to see
no" close they could come to tho
adopting of the ideas. proposed in
the richmond Planet without NOV
ing the old landmark