Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1920-04-10
THN RIGHTS OF THE MAJORITY

"'rhc voice Of tho majority Is no
roof Of justice. "-Schiller.
We have regarded with much con.
Germ the steady disposition OF the
present day statesmen and diplomats
TO break down the Legislative and con
stitutional bars erected by tho fore
most statesmen of the world as ro'
suit of centuries OF experience in
protecting and defending the rights
Of the minority as against tho ruth
less and autocratic exercise Of authors
W and power by an inflamed ana
houghtless majority. These restric-
lions and safeguards have been abus
cd. but tho resulting damage by their
complete elimination is now just be
ing realized.
No class OF people OH the face OF
Tx B.oho have suffered more than
r., .r.ored people IN this country by
tt 'GlAlcss exercise OF power by All
lr. =. ponsiDle majority. Hon. Will
Ii. al j. Brya-i has done moro than
any othor Individual to destroy these
SAFE guards and no was later support
Ell by that peerless leader, Col. Theo
dore Roosevelt. AS result, the
trusts We're attacked and nearly do.
stroyed. Then legitimate business
came in turn for It's era OF persecu
ton Then came the public press, the
how paper and publishing interests
81! then the railroads., tho meat In
t",nsis and last came tho whiskey In
< SIS, which saw millions Of dollars
.' tHeir capital and products destroy
- without let or hindranco from
any quarter.
In line with this spirit of intoler-
ace and the ruthless exercise Of pow
Ell came the destruction of parties
aid labor organizations OF n certain
kind. Under Tho plea that they wore
dislcyal and We're plotting the
overthrow OF tho present sys.
TEN OF government, the Industrial
Workers OF the World became sub
j.cl% o. prosecution and persecution.
nc socialists found their turn next
,."d ono Of The ablcst advocates Of
-" principles unl policies Of that
sweat organization I'D party was In
carcorated in y evtl prison, from
the cell OF While Z l., now wapinc
canvass for the prluidency Of the
United States. Along tie limo of this
same spirit Of intolerance, which ia
'"o unconfined sweep or the will of
inc majority five Socialists duly elect
ca members Of the New York leeisIa.
turc have been denied tho seata to
which they have been legally elected,
lhls dnial Is based upon the ground
mat the political party, to which they
telong is disloyal. that it's teachings
ana principles are inimical to our
form Of Government. Ia tho Amor,-
can Republic a failure? Has tho man.
GATE of law been replaced by the
q mmand OF the mob, now called tho
majority? What redress can these mon
CT this Party have, when tho .o,,,,
'"'ioi' ana the law provides that each
"slsiauVo body shall be the>iudeo or
inc eligibility and qualification ut
tEose persons elected to membership?
lie legislative and the judicial do
Hi-'fAel@t OF tho government are
e'-ordina'e that Is equal.
Under this construction, the ono
""s no more power than the other. II
LOOKS TO us as though Representative
so'ef''ment Is on trial, very severe
tr1al and that the day of reason m,
i"'r play has not dawned In this
country for more than decade.
We take 1T that this In tho ,oo,oo,
result or tabooing and discarding
tie rights and privileges Of black
people In this country. It has 1ad "a
Inc tanoolng and the discarding Of
inc rights and privileges of black
Same Republic. The New York World
Ia Its issue Of April 4, 1920, SAYS:
me legislative lynching that took
pace Yesterday in Albany was docio
Gu upon nearly three months opo
whch Speaker Sweet suspended five
oociallst members of the Assembly
on the ground that The platform or,
when they We're elected "is absolute
~ lnlmical to the hest interests OF
the state of New York and Of the
United States
The hearing before the Judiciary