Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1923-03-31
MIR. BRYAN AND THE
NEGRO.

Hon. William Jennings Bryan ev:-
IDENTIFY felt keenly the embarrassing
and compromising situation, wh.c.. &c
occupied in discussing he status D
one o. the k.ndlicst iaccs OK people "a
the face OF the g.obe. -Ie says c0:thcr:
1t is no reflection u-on thc b!.cI,
raca to say thct II could not formulate
laws and administer government as
we'll as the white. 1t is only few cen
turtles since the ancestors OF the color
ed people Of the South were brought
from Africa as slaves. They have
made wonderful progress and have
mrde it because they have been associ
ated with and helped by white people.
Slavery among the whites was an I'M
prOvement over independence in Afri-
Cd. The very progress that the blacks
have made, when-and only when
brought in contact with the whites.
ought to be sufficient argument in sup
port Of white supremacy-it ought 20
be sufficient to convince even tho
blacks themselves. The members of
the Write race have been studying the
subject of government Tor thousands
of years; why should they not be moro
proficient than the blacks?
We are surprised that Hon. William
Jennings Bryan. who is a student of
history should in his most persuasive
manner pervert the truths OF the past.
which may be found related in the
archives Of the Old World. What he is
essaying to do is to deny the modern
colored individual of today from hav-
ing any part in this Republican form
Of government, when the Constitution
and the laws say that he shall have
that right. Colored people are not ask.
ing as Negroes or as any group to con
troll the government but they are ask
ing that they be not taxed withou:
in vogue in the Old World and from
which the fore-fathers Of the country
fled in order to secure that independ-
ence, for which they craved should
have an opportunity to build up this
great western world as a monument
| to the proletaIiat and not as contin-
| uation of that autocracy from which
they escaped. =
Hon. William ]. Bryan would buihl
up super citizenship based upon race
ana color and not upon worth and in
much for our people but it has also
slapped the vital part of the human he
| ing -independence and manhood
| wit;rout which no individual race Or
people can rise to the true heights OF
| Independent citizenship. Mr. Bryan
says that the white race has been
| studying the subject of government
| for thousand years. Researches il
| Egypt and other parts of Africa show
that the back race has been studyinc
the science of government for more
| wOuid take up even a "mongrel' white
| man, just because be is white and
place him above the most highly edu-
Gated and wealthy Negro, just because
the latter has dark complexion of
the skin.
You cannot defend this course If
argument. Mr. Bryan either by divine
| or Drofane history and certainly not
| by the teachings of the good and lowly
Jesus whom you essay to follow and
whose doctrines you expound from
time to time. Mr.. Bryan continues:
There Is no advantage to be gained
| by ignoring the facts. The Republicans
! of the North are deceiving the blacks
for political purposes when they pre-
! tend a greater affection for them than
! is found in the South. Some one de-
/ scribed the situation very accurately
! when he said: THE people of the South
! like the Negroes as individuals but dis
| like them as a race. while the people
Of tire North like them as a race bT:
| dislike them as individuals"
! We frankly admit that we are not
| willing TO take issue with this distin
| guished statesman upon this poin.
| The South likes the Negroes as individ
| uals ard the most charitable element
in overlooking his short comings and
sympathizing with his idiosyncracies
| may be found south of the Mason and
Dixon Line Hon. w. j. Bryan contin
| ues:
The inconsistency of the Northern
Republicans is proved by their atti
tude toward the Filipinos They insis,
on governing The Filjpinos by laws
made for the F'ilipinos. under which
the white Republicans would be unwlll
ing 10 live Under the Colonial system
the Filipinos have much less protec
ton than the colored people of the
| South now have for as I have said be
fore, the colored people of the South
live under the laws that the white ne I,