Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1929-02-09
SEGREGATION AND THE
COUNCIL"

The Common Council of this city
at its regular meeting last Monday
night passed the Woody segregation
ordinance as recommended by the
Committee on Ordinances by a vote
of II to 2. 1t was vigorously OPP
posed by Councilmen Price and Brit
ton, who favored a postponement
with a view of having the situation
analyzed and practical solution OF
the questions raised and the condi-
tons alleged to exist dealt with IN
a manner satisfactory to all parties
concerned.
This was done with a view OF bet
tering conditions in the matter with
out any injury to the city as whole.
The political leaders would not have
this way, but preferred working upon
the prejudices of the people and
thereby awaken ill-feeling between
the white and colored people of this
community. 1t was case of the
demagogue and the politician against
the economist and the statesman.
In this connection, it may be said
that the Rev. Samuel l.. Dumville,
pastor of the Denny Street Metho-
dist Church (white) delivered a ring
ing discourse in which he declared
that there would be no segregation
in after life and he questioned
whether "God will have the future
realms of bliss divided into zones
into which He will place the different
races"
But he summed up the whole stu
alton when he concluded as follows;
@'Social justice-fair dealing-is
always retroactive. There could be
a 'gentleman's agreement among
property owners, and also between
the races which would stop all of the
iniusticeS to both races. Then, too:
When you improve the living, health
and sanitary conditions of the Ne
groes, you will be safeguarding the
hives and health of the whites. If
the Negroes who work in the homes
and hotels come from unsanitary
homes they viii spread disease. H.,
on the other hand, their living con-
ditiOns are healthiuI, the general
health of the city will be necessarily
improved"
This is the solution Of the whole
question. Il IS one to which every
loyal, patriotic colored man win sub
scribe. No law IS needed in -his
matter,
The Richmond, Va, News Leader,
in It's issue Of the 5th instant, says
the last word with reference to this
matter. Here it is:
"The Common Council last night,
as anticipated, passed the segrega--
ton ordinance by q decisive vote and
refused to allow even thirty days for
q survey of actual conditions. The
Board of Aldermen undoubtedly will
concur. No poll Of that body thus
far made by the opponents OF the
ordinance shows more than two votes
that can reasonably be counted
against it. The Mayor has said that
ne will sign the measure if it comes
to him. .;,,
those who regarded this ordinance as
dangerous and unjustified felt that
they should combat it and agitate
against it. Now that passage is GER
tain, the only recourse is to the
courts, which, in the opinion of this
newspaper, will certainly declare the
ordinance unconstitutional. When
that is done, the situation created by
the infiltration of Negroes into white
neighborhoods will have to be studied
anew and, unfortunately, in a spirit
less cooperative than if it had been
approached as a civic problem with
out recourse to new legal restric-
tions. When that time comes, and
the ordinance is thrown out, Rich
mond will find that the problem in
wolves the improvement of the pres
ent Negro districts, the establishment
of new residential areas for Negroes
and some method of financing the
transfer to Negroes of those squares
from which white people move away.
These are three large matters, but
they will not be beyond the capacity
of Richmond to handle.
at is possible that the segregation
ordinance may be tested under the
statute allowing the court to enter
declaratory DEGREES without waiting
for actual injury to be done. If this
be so, the unconstitutionality of the
ordinance may be established at an
early date. Pending judicial deci-
sion, the whole question may we'll
be dropped from public discussion for
the time. Further argument will not
keep the Aldermen from passing it
or the Mayor from approving it, and
will not promote that state of mind
in which Richmond must work out