A Ringing Plea for Virginia Leader
March 3, 1906
Summary
An anonymous letter to the editor defends President Hayes after a “damaging article” was published about a complex lawsuit.
Transcription
A Ringing Plea For The Virginia Leader
President Hayes Defended
Rev. Ashburn’s Vigorous Utterances. Rev. Cheek’s Suit.
That anonymous publication--a review of the work-promises for the future-- not step backward
Dear Mr. Editor:
To correct a misleading statement which appeared in the News Leader last week, and was repeated in the Baptist Reporter, I ask you to publish the following. I want you to publish it because I have never been guilty of ignoring our own press that speaks for us at all times to gain a little cheap notoriety through the white folk’s press who have troubles enough of their own, and again The Planet can reach more of our Baptist people than any paper published by white people in the world.
Doesn’t Act Fairly
The article in mind is the one concerning Prof. Hayes and the Virginia State Convention. It is stated that all eyes have been turned toward Lynchburg, in account of the Cheek-Hayes libel suit. This irresponsible reporter does not act fairly and says that the article which caused the trouble was published while Porf. Hayed was in the North on business for the Convention, he does not say that Prof. Hayes wrote Rev. Cheek a long letter and published a long article of explanation immediately after he found out that the damaging article had been published.
The Article Not the Cause
As an humble member of the Convention, having pastored in Manchester about four years, and having stood unflinchingly for our Convention, I take the privilege to explain the true cause of the lawsuit. It was not the article in question, no never for there was a complexity about that article, which seemed to show that if Rev. Cheek had carried every man to court who said as bad things about him as that article said, or who said the same or worse things he would have had to arrest a large portion of the town of Farmersville.
The suit was instituted against Prof. Hayes because he has been and is now the leader of the educational work of our Convention. There are about seven men in Virginia who have been watching for seven years for a chance to kill him. When the article in question appeared, they felt glad for they soon found that they had a young man unwise enough to do what they would not do. If I am wrong then indications and conduct mean nothing.
No Enemy To The Elder
I want all parties to understand. I am no enemy to Rev. Chil; I have always treated him as well as I know how to treat any one. I am sorry that he allowed anyone to cause him to go in court against Prof. Hayes to prove concerning a statement which no one was willing to stand for. As soon as it was shown that no one dared to own his name it seems to me that Rev. Cheek had won his case, but as it is now, he has placed himself on record as trying to ruin a woman who had nothing to do with the publication one way or another. I mean he tried to ruin Mrs. Hayes, which was not fair for a man who would have his rights, to try to take away the rights of an innocent woman…
President Hayes Defended
Rev. Ashburn’s Vigorous Utterances. Rev. Cheek’s Suit.
That anonymous publication--a review of the work-promises for the future-- not step backward
Dear Mr. Editor:
To correct a misleading statement which appeared in the News Leader last week, and was repeated in the Baptist Reporter, I ask you to publish the following. I want you to publish it because I have never been guilty of ignoring our own press that speaks for us at all times to gain a little cheap notoriety through the white folk’s press who have troubles enough of their own, and again The Planet can reach more of our Baptist people than any paper published by white people in the world.
Doesn’t Act Fairly
The article in mind is the one concerning Prof. Hayes and the Virginia State Convention. It is stated that all eyes have been turned toward Lynchburg, in account of the Cheek-Hayes libel suit. This irresponsible reporter does not act fairly and says that the article which caused the trouble was published while Porf. Hayed was in the North on business for the Convention, he does not say that Prof. Hayes wrote Rev. Cheek a long letter and published a long article of explanation immediately after he found out that the damaging article had been published.
The Article Not the Cause
As an humble member of the Convention, having pastored in Manchester about four years, and having stood unflinchingly for our Convention, I take the privilege to explain the true cause of the lawsuit. It was not the article in question, no never for there was a complexity about that article, which seemed to show that if Rev. Cheek had carried every man to court who said as bad things about him as that article said, or who said the same or worse things he would have had to arrest a large portion of the town of Farmersville.
The suit was instituted against Prof. Hayes because he has been and is now the leader of the educational work of our Convention. There are about seven men in Virginia who have been watching for seven years for a chance to kill him. When the article in question appeared, they felt glad for they soon found that they had a young man unwise enough to do what they would not do. If I am wrong then indications and conduct mean nothing.
No Enemy To The Elder
I want all parties to understand. I am no enemy to Rev. Chil; I have always treated him as well as I know how to treat any one. I am sorry that he allowed anyone to cause him to go in court against Prof. Hayes to prove concerning a statement which no one was willing to stand for. As soon as it was shown that no one dared to own his name it seems to me that Rev. Cheek had won his case, but as it is now, he has placed himself on record as trying to ruin a woman who had nothing to do with the publication one way or another. I mean he tried to ruin Mrs. Hayes, which was not fair for a man who would have his rights, to try to take away the rights of an innocent woman…
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Emma Roberts
Citation
“A Ringing Plea for Virginia Leader,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed May 17, 2025, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/389.