Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1921-10-01

white" movement inaugurated by Rop-
rasentatiNe O. Bascom s. emp.
Editor Mitchell takes the gromnn
that the policy outlined must be con.
sidered rs n proposat on tho part OF
the President to pander to tho preju.
dices OF the age by yielding to them,
saying, che would compromise with
wrong, while no has tho power to tn.
force THO DEGREES Of justice" In the
effort to avoid doing anything to
arouse race friction, 1t is claimed that
the course adopted will have n tenden-
cy to increase prejudice among the
colored people and to increase tho raj
ial friction among both classes Of
citizens. The Planet says:
The colored folks arc "as mad as
hornets and are saying things, which
would not look we'll in print and the
white folks are disposed TO retallare
and talk In manner. which Is pro
duclng the very condition of affairs,
which the distinguished occupant in
the White House hoped to avoid.
This ebullition Of feeling was to be
expected, as the natural result of tho
policy which wouq d lessen the patron
age doled out to the race in tho
southern States. But nothing is to be
gained by such empty threats and vain
gestures Of dissent, unless they arc
backed UP with votes and on organic
ed movement to use them in a way
That Will make their power felt. The
trouble is that there has been toc
much OF such demonstration on the
part or the race on previous occasions.
which has been Modified by persuasive
use OF patronage to q feW favored In.
d1Viduats and a shilling of tho muir
murs of discomfort, without improy.
ing in any large measure tho general
conditions Of tho race.
And again:
1t Is 'wdll to face the facts in the
case without evasion or disguise OF the
real issues involved. Under past Re.
publican administrations, it has been
the practice TO give 1 or 2 important
offices IN various Southern States to
those members of the race who hayo
reached the ear Of tho appointing DOW
or. According to tho complaints of
the masses, this has not worked to the
general advantage, but has intensified
racial friction to such an oxtent as TO
make life and property unsafe I'm cor
tain sections, which conditions have
not been remedied by the general gov
ornmcnt or the administration In
power.
Is this fact? Is 1t true that tho ND
pointment OF colored men to Office has
increased racial friction to such an
extent as to make Life and property
unsafe in certain sections, which con.
dltlons have not been remedicd by
the general government or tho admin
istration OF power? We are Willing 10
face the facts. During tho administra.
ton of that brilliant Clfief Executive
Hon. Woodrow Wilson, lynchings onu
burhings ut the stake continued. Eas,
81. Louis was q striking example of
raciaA intolerance and disposition to
murder. President Wilson turned tho
Offices absolutely over to tho White
South and saw to it that millions of
dollars worth Of capital was cxpenGc..
in this same section.
AS result or certainly with tho
incentive, the Ku Nlux Khan was reor.
ganizcd and women and children and
thor male relatives murdered. If this
reasoning is to pursue to its logical
conclusion, the right TO hoH Office
now being taken away, what else Is 70
be expected, but what the right to run
Tor Office will also go with it and then
the right to vote and the legal right 20
equality of privileges to DO wiped from
the statute books.
Race prejudice grows by what II
feeds upon. 1t cannot be checked Inv
temporizlng policies, for it must be
met by the Strong arm of the law,
with men in charge with tho moral
courage to stand by their oaths 81
Office and to stlvc notice upon the lie
ious and the lawless that "He. who on.
tors here, leaves hope behind" The
same argument was used when Freder
lex Douglass and Wendell Phillips mud
Charles Sumner and William Lloyd
Garrison and John Brown were a:tac!,
Ing the citadels Of wrong in this
country. Tolerations OF this kind lead
to blood-shed.
The recent World War, where mil.
lions Of the best blooded men Of tho
Old and New World were slaughtered
tells its own story. If the argument
OF Editor Fred II. Moore and his sup.
porters is germane and logical and the
statements he makes are corrert, then
the proper poSisy to be pursued is to
eject rampant Negro hater in tho
chair ct the White House and
depend upon him TO improve racial
conditions and to allay prejudice. Our
very able contemporary overlo ks
the fact that cruelty and horhorou,