Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1928-04-07
TIVE NEGRO DEaLCC...l-5'
PREDICASIEET

Judge Beverly T. Crump. who
declined to grant the request OF
James o. West for a writ Of man
damus to compel the election Judges
i'm his precinct to pernsfr him to
vote in the Democratic primary
election last Tuesday is one Of The
ablest jurists in this State. Although
he is judge OF the Law and Equity
Court Of this city, he has been hon'
ored with an appointment upon the
Special Court of Appeals and sim
flarly recognized by his associates
and named President of that tenn
porary judicial body.
He is devolG OF race prejudice ard
it is a pleasure for the colored mem
bers Of the bar to appear before him
His decision in this matter, for this
reason, possesses more than passing
interest and makes It practically
certain that any appeal from his
ruling in this matter to the Supreme
Court of Appeals Of Virginia is
doomed to failure. 1t is also maxi
fest that the efforts OF the Negro
Democrats hereabouts have caused
much concern and general alarm
among certain Democratic leaders
and. they are taking steps to prepare
for a further attack upon the bed
rock anti.Negro principle Of the Dem
ocratic Party in this State.
Can Negroes get into the Demo
cratic Party by any other route than
by knocking at the front door os
that organization, sending in their
application for membership and then
Dc ssax halloted for and ssss1ssd
through the regular channels? Judge
Beverly T. Crump answers in the
negative and so does the local Dem
ocratic Committee.
This party has q list OF its accred
tied membership and when Brother
Theodore W. Jones requested infor'
nation as to whether his name was
written there, he received q cour'
teous reply in the negative. i
seems reasonably certain that had
his name been on the roster OF the
Party and this fact had been shown
to he so to the satisfaction Of His
Honor, Judge Beverly T. Cruml,
aud that he was not permitted TO
vote on account Of his race end col
or, ne would have upheld the CEN
tention of counsel for. the plaintiff.
The point was made that the quel'
ifcation to vote in tho primary m
ciuded West Jones ct, ais save Tor
the impossible bar chat no person
not white person gould or. would
be accepted. Jones' West and their
associates have besn bceskns one
or the other Of ths Dewpcgatic gan
,didates for Mayor OF Raehmsnd city.
They expected to go in With the
white folks and at the Lest, minute.
they are unceremonieaay denied
admiss.on. -se.,,
Judge Crump's ruling in effect u
that the admission TO the primary
election rests in the hands Of the
officials composing the Democratic
eleotDrate. Application should be
made to them rather than to the
Court. It reminds us Of a story told
more than a quarter Of a century
age. when General William Malone.
VINO. was afSectionately called BY his
followers, Billy Malone vas IN tAe
zenith Of his glory, A campaign
orator got on the story and it went
over the State like wildfre at that
tine.
It was told as dream. General
Malone went up 20 the gates OK
Heaven and knocked. Sc. Peter
looked out and asked who was there.
When told, he asked, care you
walking or are you mounted? He
replied that he was walking. "Yns
cannot enter here" was the re-
sponse. He was detected and crest
faMen and as he made his way down
the road. he saw Negro coming
1T is no use, Sambo, to go up
there. You cannot get in unless you
are mounted. I'll ten you what We
can. do. You be my horse and We
can go up there and both Of us can
get in at the same time. Sambo
readily agreed to this and General
hoped astride of his back
and the Negro pranced up to the
mighty gates, where General Malone
In reply to the enquiry OF
St. Peter, General Malone cried out,
General William Malone Of Virgin
la. He comes mounted. All right
hitch your horse on the
outside and come in.
This seems to be the present
plight Of the Negro Democrats In