Another Trick
March 24, 1900
Summary
The Virginia legislature is being shaped by white politicians “to rob the colored citizen.”
Transcription
It seems that the recent legislature of Virginia aside from its “Jim Crow” Car attitude upset values, paralyzed business and disgraced itself, if we are to believe one half of the mean things which the Democratic white men who elected its members are saying about it.
It resorted to tricks to rob the colored citizen, and with him out of the way proceeded to play similar “sleight of hand methods” upon the white people of Virginia.
The Richmond, Va., Evening Leader in its issue of March 19th, under the caption of “Another Trick” says:
“The following special has been sent out from Norfolk: ‘An innocent-looking charter, which was granted by the last session of the Virginia Legislature, was put through without exciting the suspicion of the friends of the Virginia Pilots’ Association, but nevertheless the bill will prove a menace to the organization. It is believed to be aimed solely at the abolition of the pilotage fees now assessed against foreign vessels entering this port for cargoes, and that to accomplish this is will be necessary to form a nominal wharf trust. The bill incorporates the Piedmont Warehouse and Lumber Company. One clause exempts all vessels intending to load or having loaded at the company’s wharves from all pilotage fees while entering, leaving or navigating the waters of Virginia. One of the pilots said to-night, ‘The bill will wipe us out.’ It is believed the Piedmont Co. will under the provisions of its charter, secure by nominal lease or otherwise all the wharves at which foreign ships are now loaded.’”
“We shall not enter into any discussion concerning the merits of the Pilots’ Association. We reproduce this item by way of calling attention to the fact that here is another bill that slipped through the last Legislature in such a quiet way that nobody seems to have known anything about its real purport. Gracious only knows how many more there are of the same character. This sort of thing is a disgrace to the State.”
Oh, yes, your enemies outwitted you. While you were watching the Negro scare-crow at one end of the platform, their confederates were going through your pockets and taking from you the very rights of which you expected to be denied.
You now have “Jim Crow” Steam boats in Tidewater and free pilotage to accompany the same.
You can’t hit the Negro without crippling the white man, and thirty years experience in this direction should have taught you sense enough to know it.
It resorted to tricks to rob the colored citizen, and with him out of the way proceeded to play similar “sleight of hand methods” upon the white people of Virginia.
The Richmond, Va., Evening Leader in its issue of March 19th, under the caption of “Another Trick” says:
“The following special has been sent out from Norfolk: ‘An innocent-looking charter, which was granted by the last session of the Virginia Legislature, was put through without exciting the suspicion of the friends of the Virginia Pilots’ Association, but nevertheless the bill will prove a menace to the organization. It is believed to be aimed solely at the abolition of the pilotage fees now assessed against foreign vessels entering this port for cargoes, and that to accomplish this is will be necessary to form a nominal wharf trust. The bill incorporates the Piedmont Warehouse and Lumber Company. One clause exempts all vessels intending to load or having loaded at the company’s wharves from all pilotage fees while entering, leaving or navigating the waters of Virginia. One of the pilots said to-night, ‘The bill will wipe us out.’ It is believed the Piedmont Co. will under the provisions of its charter, secure by nominal lease or otherwise all the wharves at which foreign ships are now loaded.’”
“We shall not enter into any discussion concerning the merits of the Pilots’ Association. We reproduce this item by way of calling attention to the fact that here is another bill that slipped through the last Legislature in such a quiet way that nobody seems to have known anything about its real purport. Gracious only knows how many more there are of the same character. This sort of thing is a disgrace to the State.”
Oh, yes, your enemies outwitted you. While you were watching the Negro scare-crow at one end of the platform, their confederates were going through your pockets and taking from you the very rights of which you expected to be denied.
You now have “Jim Crow” Steam boats in Tidewater and free pilotage to accompany the same.
You can’t hit the Negro without crippling the white man, and thirty years experience in this direction should have taught you sense enough to know it.
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Lower Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Elizabeth Lopez-Lopez
Citation
“Another Trick,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed June 17, 2025, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/1230.