Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1928-04-07
"THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND
THE VIRGINIA NEGRO.

SrOeS IN general ana tne DemOcTdtlc
Negro in particular. 1t diplomatical-
ly and shrewdly puts its remarks in
the form of interrogations. and the
question mark could have been
properly placed after each sentence
of its highly Illuminating editorial.
1t says:
The News Leader does not know
whether the Negroes who wish to
participate in the Democratic pri-
mary will appeal from Judge
Crump's decision of Friday and
carry their case upward to the Su-
preme Court of the United States.
AS the Negroes will get no finan-
cial support, naturally, from either
political party, the expense will have
to be borne by private individuals,
and as comparatively few Negroes
are interested in this move, the cost
may be greater than Negro Demo-
Gratis in Richmond can carry.
The above is absolutely correct,
for we have on file a communica-
ton dealing with that phase of the
question II continues:
Whatever the immediate outcome,
situation is developing that will
call for the wisest public counsel
and for matured action by the
Democratic party. Nobody is pre-
pared to give the answer today;
nobody can deny it must be given
tomorrow.
The above statement needs no
comment. 1t is automatic. And
again:
=. s,..s=ssss &c. -
Many Negroes are frankly dis
i'lusioned by their dealings with the
Republican party. They know they
have been cast out from the ranks
of the Lilly Whites" At the same
time, the Negroes are developing a
new pride in their State and a spe-
1ial interest in their city. They
are told by their leaders that they
can never hope to get better streets
and more municipal Improvements
in their districts unless they can
vote. They realize that it is quite
futile to put up an opposition coun-
rimanic ticket. Consequently, they
reason that the only way open to
hem of acquiring any political in
lluence is by participating in the
primary as Democrats.
AS the News Leader analyses it,
Iris is the judgment of some of the
NEGRO leaders, preachers, teachers
and businessmen, a small but influ-
entail group. The average Negro
is not Interested, because he is not
po!itically-minded. More than half
he Negro population of Richmond
has never exercised the franchise
and therefore is not conscious of
the loss OF political power which the
Negroes Of 1902 felt keenly.
Yes, this is their dream. 1t is
closely akin to that of the Negro
Democrats and the Negro Repub-
licans of this city and State. Such
improvements as have been cited
can only be secured through the
City Government, known as its
Board of Aldermen and Common
Council.
We should go out in the wards
and put up councilmanic candidates
and have the displeasure for the
next ten years or forever of seeing
them knocked down" politically,
so to speak and finally we shall
realize that the statement is true
that continuing drop of water will
wear away the hardest stone. A
story is told of white man, who
lived in jackson Ward nearly half
a century ago. He; attacked an
other white man, who was his
master in the fstic arena and he
promptly knocked him down and
out. a.sr.
John Divine took the beating and
remained in bed for some time, as a
result. of the encounter. He came
back and met this same man again
and again with, the. same result.
Finally, the white man got tired
beating him and friend whispered
to him that the only way to end
the combat was to let this slightly
demented Iohn Divine beat him.
Being disguised and worn out, he
submitted to the inevitable, and
after that morning John Divine
never pestered him again. 81
The inference is obvious. Colored
people will not get colored folks
improvements until Ley get repre-
sentative colored people in the
Council either @. leans. len.
Gratis or Independents. A hint TO
the wise is sufficient, but this broad
statement is more than sufficien..
For our part af-er5 years of OBJ
servation and experience, we have
noticed that Southerners have SO
jockeyed the political and the legal
situation that. Nortberners wait for
a nod from the Southerners them
selves before they render decision.
If we are not mistaken we are of
the opinion that Democratic jurists
on the Supreme Court of the United
States concurred in that famous
raxas urinary law decision