Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-03-20
PUBLIC LEDGER
.ocfAL EQUALITY LE0IsLATIoE

The civil rights bill has gwen exist
enee to a crop Of social equality laws IN
MANY Of the Southern States that are
well calculated, IL enforced to the letter
10 oyertnrn society and bring the intel
Tssnce and cultivation Of the white man
down 10 the low level Of the most igno'
rant and brutal negro. The recent
social equality law Of Arkansas was
created in order TO force negroes INTO
the cabins of the Arkansas river packets
and in fact, into the same state-rooms
with white people. But the social re-
formers reckoned without their host, as
the Memphis aud Arkansas River Steam
boat Company, rather than admit the
colored element to the cabins OF their
steamers. have closed the same and re-
fused to receive any but deck passen-
GERS Their right TO do this, and even
their right to invite such of their deck
messengers as they may choose to share
the cabin with their officers. cannot be
questioned under any OF the numerous
amendments to the Constitution, nor
under any of the queer laws passed for
the enforcement thereof Strange as 1t
may seem, this much Of personal and
property rights still remains to the peo-
ple of this country, in spite OF all the
adverse legislation from which the col
ored party was led to expect such mi
lennial results. BY virtue of the same
inalienable remnant Of liberty the com
mon schools may be closed some day, as
the steamboat cabins have been, against
the premature obtrusion of social equal
ity But the negrozed Legislature OF Ar
kansas now demands that the Federal
government shall come to the rescue.
The Radical majority has passed reso-
luton instructing the Senator'S and Rep
resentatives Of Arkansas in Congress
ito make such representations to the
Postmaster General as will secure the
mail service on the Arkansas river TO
ssme line of steamboats, which will &C.
commodate the public without evad-
inc the rules of the Arkansas Legisia-
ture for the enforcement Of social equal
ity. The insolence of the demand IS IN
keeping with Radical rule, but it will
strike the sensible citizen as rather
strange if the Postmaster General as
sumes to have the power OF annexlng
social equality conditions to the letting
of the mail contracts. But even II this
should be done, the subsidized line,
whose cabin privileges would be open to
negroes, would have to put up with the
contract and cabin passengers OF
LOYAL color, while the more lucra'
tive patronage of the whites would
be given the support Of the more ex
elusive rival line. The St. Louis Re-
publican, commenting on this matter
makes the following pertinent points;
President Grant, fer instance, says in
his inaugural that the negro is not pos
sessed Of the civil rights which citizen
shin should carry with it, and that to the
correction of the wrong be will stand
committed SO far as au executive ln1u'
ence can avail to social equality; but
Immediately he adds. " 1t is subject to
be legislated upon" When President
Grant travels, itisin special car, which
hedges in his dignity, and prevents not
only negroes, but poor white folks, from
coming between the wind and his nobll-
ity. And what legislation can prevent
him from doing this2 Let the negroes re-
member that President Grant example
would have mere influence in fixing the
social status Of their race taan any leg
islation could exert. In his own social
intercourse, and in ordering that OF his
family, he could set a fashion which he
studioasly avoids. Among the millions
of negroes in this country there are
men Of wealth and culture. born free
and possessing all the merely ethical
claims to social position. By a mere
exercise Of the appointing power the
President and his obedient Senate could
Immediately establish the rank OF the
race in Washington society. While he
is unwilling to set such distasteful ex.
ample for his own loyal supporters to
follow, it is idle to expect that he or
they can devise any legislation that will
counteraet the less modified preJudices
of other white folks.