Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-08-30

| revolutionary and he seems oblivious
! OF the fact that millions of colorcd
people in this country have not even
contemplated such action. While not
exactly satisfied with conditions in
the Southland, they hesitate to leave
conditions that they know to seek
! conditions that they do not know. AS
! to colored soldiers seeking their
rights, after their experiences in that
| 'hcll on earth" in Flanders and
/ elsewhere, that is natural feel
| ing and as logical as that the night
! follows the day.
| Men, who arc good enough to offer
! their lives and TO suffer untold hor-
! rors for Il Gvernmcnt are good enough
! TO enjoy the rights and privileges ac-
corded to citizens of that Govern
ment. If they did not have this feel
| ing they would be in the category of
, the people that tho Hon. James r.
, Byrnes describes. Southern white
, men that we have met have been in
, dulgcnt and willing to give to these
black men their civil rights and
privileges. These black men are not
demanding or even asking for social
rights.
The conservative leaders Of tho
race are not advising colored people
to resort to violence i'll order to SO
cure privileges to which they arc en-
titled. The colorcd men have simply
been exercising the natural right OF
SELF defense. Any colored man who
would advocate the indiscriminate
killing OF white people for the reason
that lawless white people had prac-
tccd the indiscriminate killing OF
colorcd people should be Denounced
from every hastings aud considered
an outlaw.
The aim should be to- punish the
lawless white man and the lawless
cofored one, while he is engaged in
the act of outlawry. A white man
should defend his home. He should
shoot down the black foot pad or hood
family and a colored man should
practice the same method in dealing
with the white outlaws, mob leaders
and the "ne'er do wells" who stir
up racial strife in order that they
may profit by such forms Of outlaw
ry. The returning white soldiers and
sailors have been found at the bot
tom Of these outhraaks.
DIR. w. IL. b. Dubois Is one Of
| the ablest colored leaders in this
country. So far rs. We have been able
to observe, he has not been unduly eX
treme III the language he uses. True,
he is n Socialist and he has his own
way Of thinking, hut we are unwil
ing to believe that he contemplated
urging colorcd people in this coun-
try to resort to violence in order to
secure rights denied. 1t must be done
by an appeal to the white and color
cd electorate. He who appeals to the
sword shall perish by the sword =.
What objection can there DO found
IN tho plea OF the Crisis that the col
ored people do all in their power to
save America for DcmOcracy?"
President Woodrow Wilson, in his
broad language has advocated the
same thing.
He spoke of making the world safe
for democracy and this surely In
cludcd all parts Of tho Southland. II
is no uso to criticise our critics. The
proper course to pursue is to climi
nate the wrongful conditions that
admittedly exist in this land OF ours
We hope that the congressman
from South Carolina will read all OF
the facts in the case and consider
them aftor they have been read in
the light Of our soldiers present 40
!, Movements. II these men, who speak
in the open are to be silenccd, what
becomes of the guarantees under oul
constitution or is it that those funda
mental rights arc now suspended and
will remain suspended indie
finitely. Personally speaking we
. are free TO say that this Is no time
for Incorporate language, but it does
!, seem to us that the men, who fought
, for their country, should be accord
ed the privilege Of speaking for thcil
, country and for themselves.
/ Mr.. John r. Shillady (white) has
been beaten numerically i'll Texas
He is indirectly on the staff Of the
) New York Crisis and now Editor w
&c. B. Dubois of tho same publication
is threatened with prosecution by the
officials Of the Government at Wash