Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-04-12

/ CONSTITUTION or tho united states.
He has gotten down to tho Tenth
! Amendment, evidently without di-
costing the first part of the Dcclara-
7 ton of Independence, which reads:
1--WE hold these truths to be self
! evident: that all men are created
, equal, that they arc endowed by their
| Creator with certain inalicnablo
| rights, that among these are life,
, liberty and tho pursuit Of happiness
| And again:
| Mr. Kirby said that when he was
! asked by the Department of Labor to
I advise with their representatives rel
ativc to conditions in his section, he
: expressed his Willingness to advise
| with tho white agents OF the depart
mcnt. "But," he said, "whcn it
I became Il question Of going into con-
| ference with the black official hand
! ling the colorcd economies | de-
clincd. In tho South we tell Negroes
what to do; we do not take counsel
| with them," ho declared.
Evidently. this fiery Texan has
come in official contact with DR..
| George Il. Haynes, Il southerncr, who
knows how to deal automatically
with the southern white man. But
with all Of his diplomacy, he was not
Suited to tho taste of President
John II. Kirby, of Houston, Texas.
|This new diplomacy, this securing tho
confidence Of the Colorcd people Of
the southland by means Of confer
enccs with race leaders has led to
untold good i'll dealing with many OF
the embarrassing questions in this
part of the country
1t is this undiplomatic manner of
telling the Negro what to do that has
caused so much misunderstanding in
one Of tho most prosperous sections
on the faco Of the globe. What is
needed, is tho friendly cooperation
Of this class of people, not this sullcn
obedience that tends TO breed trouble
and leads to nll kinds Of industrial
and political coalitions against tho
southland
But tho "cat in tho moal-tub,"
"tho bug undor tho chip" Is shown
in tho concluding part Of Mr.. Kirby's
remarks. IIo Is quoted as follows:
Tho Southern Pine lumber manu-
facturcrs declined proposal Of tho
industria l board Of tho United States
Department OF Commerco that thcy
ontor into joint price agreement rs
n means for etabilizing market con-
ditions. Such action, 1t was declared,
would be fcontrary to tho best inter
osts OF tho public and of tho industry
from both n legal and economic point
OF Wow, violativo of State and Fed
eral antitrust statutes and likely to
subject those involved to prosocu-
ton.
He appears to be opposed to pny-
thing that will tend to lessen the
prico of tho commodity I'm which no
Is dealing. IIo sees in this combina-'
ton Of white labor and black labor,
tho opening OF the eyes Of tho labor
ing white mon and tho laboring black
mon to tho fact that their interests
are identical. will give them "a whip
handle" so to be in making n wage
scale and with this will come from
tho Industrial commission price
fixing scale, between which two e1-
tremes, the profits OF tho lumber
dealers will be curtailed.
This attack upon tho Negro and
Secretary Wilson and DR.. George lG.
Haynes is only a means OF beclouding
the situation, OF muddying tho water
while the lumber interests continue
to do business at tho Same old stand,
making millions and causing the
people OF the country to pay for the
same. Being n southerncr, we know
how to take these statements at their
true value.
Luckily or unluckily, he must vent
his rage upon tho head OF the nation
that he no doubt assisted in elccting
to Office. Certainly the colorcd peo-
pic can afford to regard with cqua-
nimity all that he has been unkind
enough to say. 1t is a fight OF n
Democrat against Democrats. If any
one on either side happens to DO put
out OF business, there will be ono less
Democrat to carry on the battle a
few years hence.
Certain it Is that the Negro ques-
ton is no longer confned to any ono
party, when e. Democratic Secretary
Of Labor and a Democratic President
OF tho United States arc favorable to
fundamental rights OF the black man
and a hayward member OF the party
In Texas Is opposed to these rights.
God Is working for Israel and we