Edited by Ridley and Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin
The decision of the Supreme Court of the United States on the Separate Car Law, comes as a disappointment, but hardly as a surprise to millions of loyal American citizens.
It cannot be denied that sentiment against the Negro and his rights is growing rapidly. As the black man acquires money and education new barriers are raised against him, sometimes old obstacles which pity for helplessness and ignorance caused to be removed are being rebuilt and it is only to a few enlightened minds that the cause of the Negro has any interest at all.
In time the problem must work itself, and in the meantime the Negro has got to make himself felt. There is no wisdom, virtue, policy or manhood in bearing everything put upon one. Appeals for justice by voice and pen go very little ways at present, practically no attention whatever is paid to them; the time is come when they must be backed by aggressive action and a physical as well as mental resistance to every abrogation of manhood rights.
If laws are unjust, they must be continually broken until they are killed or altered. The thing to do is to force the recognition of manhood by any and all means.
The heroes of the South who are meeting cowardly lynchers with a shotgun and the courage of true manhood, the men of the North as well as the South who are meeting insinuations against character and efforts to humiliate them with a strong and ready fist, are doing as much towards the forcing of a right condition as any. The world is turning a callous ear to appeals for justice; it is evident that the only way now to get what we want is to take it even if we have to break laws in getting it.
The need of Christian homes for wayward and erring girls, will be an issue. The Separate Car law will be generally discussed and drastic measures adopted for having it expunged from the Statute of the states in which the system operates, it is hoped.
It cannot be denied that sentiment against the Negro and his rights is growing rapidly. As the black man acquires money and education new barriers are raised against him, sometimes old obstacles which pity for helplessness and ignorance caused to be removed are being rebuilt and it is only to a few enlightened minds that the cause of the Negro has any interest at all.
In time the problem must work itself, and in the meantime the Negro has got to make himself felt. There is no wisdom, virtue, policy or manhood in bearing everything put upon one. Appeals for justice by voice and pen go very little ways at present, practically no attention whatever is paid to them; the time is come when they must be backed by aggressive action and a physical as well as mental resistance to every abrogation of manhood rights.
If laws are unjust, they must be continually broken until they are killed or altered. The thing to do is to force the recognition of manhood by any and all means.
The heroes of the South who are meeting cowardly lynchers with a shotgun and the courage of true manhood, the men of the North as well as the South who are meeting insinuations against character and efforts to humiliate them with a strong and ready fist, are doing as much towards the forcing of a right condition as any. The world is turning a callous ear to appeals for justice; it is evident that the only way now to get what we want is to take it even if we have to break laws in getting it.
The need of Christian homes for wayward and erring girls, will be an issue. The Separate Car law will be generally discussed and drastic measures adopted for having it expunged from the Statute of the states in which the system operates, it is hoped.