Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1924-08-16
SWINGING THE OTHER WAY.

The pendulum is swinging the other
way for the Negro in tne Soutnlanu IL
we are to Judge by certain happenings
and by the outspoken attitude OF GER
tain white people, whose attitude can
not be mistaken and whose utterances
cannot be questioned or denied. They
belong to citizenship of the higher OF
der and their spoken and written words
can be logically accepted as the gospel
Of truth.
These thoughts came to US after read
ing the comment of the editor OF the
Richmond, Va, Times-Dispatch upon
the action of that brilliant Assistant At
torney General of Virginia, Hon. Leon
M. Bazile in joining in recon-
mending to His Excellency, T..
Lee Trinkle. Governor Virginia
that a colored man charged with
the murder of white one that a re-
prieye be granted in order that Attor-
uey William F. Denny might have the
time to secure another attorney to take
the place of Hon. Josiah D. Hank, VINO
expired suddenly, before he could CON-
plete the brief for an appeal to the Su-
nreme Court of the United States, al
leging that the failure to have colored
men on the jury constituted a vital
error, where the life of the prisoner at
the bar was at stake and demand had
been made for the granting OF the
same.
, The merits or dement's relative to the
or,ilt or innocence of the accused are
not involved in this issue. 1t is ques-
ton of law, which the distinguished
counsel representing the State is will
ing to have passed upon by a higher
tribunal. The other case in point is the
action of the Richmond Chamber CT
Commerce in recognizing the death OF
a colored citizen of this community,
who was not a member Of that body
and in fact under its rules and custom
could not be and yet for the first time
in it's history passed resolutions expires
sive of it's sorrow over his demise
Giles B. Jackson was well known by
Hon. William T. Dabney, Manager Oh
that great organization and enjoyed MS
absolute confidence. They were as one
We take it that it was his "fine ltal-
ian hand" that wrought this miracle
as a tribute to his black friend.
Southern white men have been noted
for this kind of action, but they have
usually acted in an individual capacity
That the influential Richmond body
should have acted in this capacity Will
attract nationwide interest. The Rich
mond Times-D Dispatch speaks OF North
erners who bemoan the injustices IN
flicted upon the Negroes. They will DC
all right, when they learn that there
is a division among the white people OF
the South just as there is division
among the white people Of the North.
Tens of thousands of white people
prefer Negroes and association WIFI
them within prescribed limits. Tne'
are the colored peoples best friends
and frequently aid them in a Thousand
unseen ways. Some times, they stano
| out in the open as has been done II
this case. We have recOllections or INK
! Simon Walker case, wherein GOV
FTtzhugh Lee saved fifteen year On
CO .ored boy from the gallows, the Lun
enburg Case, wherein Gov. Charles L
! O'Ferrall mustered the troops OF th'
commonwealth to save these haples'
! Negro prisoners from lynching belnt
! guided in his action by one of the mos
i distinguished Attorney Generals tina
:. has ever occupied that position. We pr
fer to the father of the present apl'
! jurist. r, Carter Scott Of the Circui
Court Of this city.
The Supreme Court Of this Stat
came to the rescue of the prisoners TO
! 'the first and last time" in the judicia
history of the commonwealth. tool
bodily possession of the prisoners II
order to prevent the lynching. All
these things were done by Southern
white men of the better class and l
led us to indulge in the expressio.
many years ago-all of the justice tina
, we could not secure from the Suprem
Court of Appeals of Virginia. we wer
willing to go without