The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-07-31
The Civil Rights Bill.

Memphis, on the subject of the States
finances, taxation and the civil rights /
bill, GoverBor John c Brown speaks as
follows 10 regard to TIE latter:
! This bill, which is missioner, and /
! should have been STYLED "the social rights
bill" is fraught with more vital interests /
and alarming eonsequer ces than, per- /
haps, any measure yet presented to the |
! consideration of the American congress
! since the close of the civil war. is
/ passage would. in my judgment, be !
violation of the constitution, mockery |
and delusiOn to the African, an outrage /
/ upon the white man, and be followed IN /
! those States where the negro race Is !
! numerous by the most NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. 3 /
/ upon material pro perity and intellectual /
! development The large majority by |
/ which 1t passed the senate the twenty 1
third Of May last is only another of the I
many evidences of a purpose by the
leaders of the dominant party to use the
colored man to maintain their control Of
the government in defiance of the cOnsti-
tuition and in fragrant violation of the
| rights of the white man. If, by the pro-
| visions of the first and second sections OF
the bill, it is intended to give new
| remedy both to whites and blacks, when
excluded from hotels, railroad cars,
theaters public schools, etc, it is another
| attempt at interference wish the mum
cipal affairs of State governments, so
fragrant as to impress the mind of even
the causal reader Of the constitution with
serious alarm But if, as / think, the
purpose is to give to the colOred man
practically an exclusive right to recover
a penalty os $500 when refused admis-
sion into hotels, public conveyances,
places of amusement, and into public
schools, etc, it leaves the white man
with only his common law remedy which
is now open to all Aud by the fourth
section it is obviously the purpose of
the bill to create severe penalty against
an officer who fails or refuses to summon
colOred man as juror The whole hill
| Is intended as q discrimination in favor
| of the cOlored against the white man.
1t Is an effort to pla &c the black man in
| the south upon higher platform than
the white man. 1t is unjust to the color
/ ed man, because it arrays against him
prejudices which had subsidized 1t is a
| legislative admission that the colored
race is intellectually the inferior of our
race, and unable to cope with him in the
march of civilization It is a solemn
declaration by the assent led IciSdOnl of
the nation that the negro, nth every
constitutional and legal provision in his
favor, guaranteeing to him equal politi-
cal and civil rights with the white man,
Is unaLle TO take care of himself 1t is
an effort to degrade the white race by
elevatlng the negro above him, by affords
ing him superior facilities to enforce his
remedies against imagined social wrongs.
This bill, as to Tennessee, and many
other States, is an invasion, by congress
sional action, of constitutional guaran
tees. We have, for instance, n provision
in our State constitution prohibiting a
mixture of whites and blacks In our
public schools. This bill proposes to
strike down this part of our organic law,
and would destroy our system of cons
mon schools. And who would allow his
child to sit on the same bench, and recite
in the same classes, and grow Up on
terms of childish intimacy with the black
child No man who loves his children,
or retains one vestige of his pride Of race,
will submit to tkis degradation of his OH
spring. To the poor white man it will
be pecui Tiy oppressive for If the cOn>
sequences of this legislation are the des-
truetiOn Cf the common school system of
the State, the children Of the oor man,
who are now educated free, must grew
up in igno rance. We have another pro-
vision, iuterdicting the marriage IF the
races L t this legislation obtain, and
the next step viii be to annex penalties
against the refusal Of a white woman to
marry q negro, because of his race AMI
color. Admit the authority of congress
, to pass this bill, and there will be no
limit to the aggressIons of that body up
on society and i5s safeguards in the State.
1t will take charge of and control our
social and business relations.
In Tennessee they have guarantee ed in
our organic law every practical and civil
right that is secured to our race Our
guarantees. The negro child, equally
with the white, is provided for in our
E common schools The white race no
toriously pay all or nearly all, the taxes,
and therefore the negro, with cOlamenda-
bic hberality and generosity, is educated
at the expense of the white race. In a
word, the negro in Tennessee has every
protection by The Jaw, and every cduca-
tional privilege wish our race. No one
desires to deprive him Of any of the legal
: rights now accorded to him; and when
the charge is made that we desire to de>
pFive him either of his freedom or his
political or civil rights, it Is not only
! faLSe by those who give 1t circulation
f but it Is willful and deliberate talsehoUd,
; uttered by men who are far below the
! level Of the negro, for the promotion Of
their own selfish purposes. lt will rot
do for us to cherish the delusion that the
, crisis Is passed. This odiOus bill lies on
the speakers table IF the house, to be
taken up In its order on the calender
when congress cOnvenes in December
Its passage can be prevented, in my
2 | Judgment, Ouly by an unmistakable ex-
preston of public Indignation, through
the ballOt-bIz Let rs overwhelmingly
. defeat the civil rights ticket, both IN our
county and State electors. Let every
, white man who loves his race and retains
D his self respect, rally 20 the white man
ticket Let no petty dissensions or
jealousies, or individual aspirations divide
Us in this vital struggle Ii Is the duty
of every man, in this perilous hour, to
- forget every other Consideration, ard
{ contribute by his vote and influence TO
the success of the white mans ticket
triumphant success saves Tennessee Ia
J the white man, and aids the defeat Of
e this wicked measure. Defeat will break
d0En her prosperity, humble her pride,
ard give aid and comfort to the mis-
ChieyOus fanati,s who seek our degrade.
: ton and ruin.
PRoMPT WORK One day last week
the pay train on New Orleans. It LOUIS
d Chicago Railroad, passed up the road
and paid up ApriPs Indebtedness. In a
2 few days it passed down and paid for
Nav, and VIC learn that in 4 few days it
will pass Up again paying for June, and
then down, paying for July. This is
prompt work and shows that The financial