The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-12-01
GhaGntelliqetrrer
Democracy and the ColOrod Race.

decided that colored child can not be
educated in the white schools Of thai
State, even though 1t Is the only colored
child in the school district. We presume
that even were the child as near white as
the one refused admission TO the schools
in Barbour county, in this State, some
time ago, yet 1t still would be ineligible
to the privileges of education. A few
drops ol negro blood are sufficient to in
dicate to q Democratic school trustee
1.-THE chAttel stamp-the PAriah stale,
Tho curse without the crime Of CAIN"
and,as an orthodox descendant Of Japheth,
he feels bound to Vindicatc tho memory
Of hls father Noah.
The decision OF the Supreme Court oil
Indiana Is fair illustration Of tho
cruel instincts that have always charac-
terizGd both thelegislation and the judicial
decisions ofthe Democratic party towards
the negro race III this country. They
have always done their best to keep the
negroes despised and degraded race, and
yet at the same time have POINTED the
finger OF scorn at them because Of their in
Ierlority TO the white race. Their record
in this respect reminds one Of the proscrip.
tive spirit in which the women Of the
shunar caste are dealt with in Hiudostan.
The females Of this despised caste are
compelled by the ussges of the country to
dress in a style that subjects them to con.
slant obloquy, and when few years ago
Revolutionary. Rsj ah succeeded to power
and was disposed to allow them to dress
as other persons, and thus become decent
and respectable members Of society, We.
hement protest went up from the Hindoo
Aristccracy against it. 1t was said, in sub
stance. in that protest, that the religion,
the laws, the public order, and the private
morality Of the respectable classes OF
Hindoo society rested on the fundamental
principle that 70 Shunar woman should
be allowed TO dress herself decently.
So with the Democracy in their treat
ment of the negro. The policy Of the
party has sIeadf4stly been to lmbrute the
race as lar as possible; to load it down,
in other words, with all sorts Of pro-
scriptlons, Determinations and incquali-
ties. and then allege that the safety
aud we'll being OF white society required
the race to be thus kept down. 1t has
seemed as il the party was utterly in.
capable Of dealing in the least degree
sympatheucally with the Negro. Chief
Justice TANEY embodied tho Psgauism
oI their policy SIS party in one single re
mark when he said on the bench that the
Negro had no rights that white men
were bound TO respect, remark that
helate THADDEUs STEVENS once said had
consigned its author TO everlasting fame
and everlasting fire.
But dismissiDg the sentimental view Of
the case before US, how can the Dem
ocratic party, or any other party in this
country, legally levy schoOl taxes upon a
Negro and at tn6 same time deny him
the privileges Of educationH It seems in
the Iudiana case that taxes had been &C.
tually levied upon the colored man and
that there was no school near by save the
white school for him to send his children
TO. And from that school his children
were elected because Of their color, and
he had therefore either to let them grow
up in ignorance or else procure an educa.
tion ior them outside the public school at
an additional expense. In other words,
he had not only TO pay for educating the
children Of his white neighbors and at
the same time be debsrred from the same
privilege for his own children, but
he had TO go TO an additional expense
over and above his taxes, in order to
secure private instruction for his children
or, falling IN The latter, he had to let them
grow up in ignorance.
1t may well be doubted whethen under
the l4lh amendment 10 the Constitution
Of the United States a colored child can
be excluded from a public school under
such circumstances. That amendment
provides that mo State shall make or en-.
force any law which shall abridge the
privileges or immunities Of citizens Of the
United States" Now the qestion is, is 1t
the privilege Of u citizen Of the United
States to send his children to q school for
the support Of which he is taxed9 Per-
hsps we shall not have Satisfactory an.
swer 10 this question until the case
under consideration, or some similar
case, Is carried into the United
States Courts. 1t certainly Is desirable to
know what arc the just rights ofall citi-
zens ofthe United States in the matter Of
education. Public schools are public in
stitutions, got up and sustained for the
benefit Of society in general, TO tho end
that all the people shall become intelli-
gent, and thus become better citizens. Tn.
der the Constitution OF the United States
can any citizens children be deprived Of
the benefits of the public schools simply
because Of Their colorP This is an i'm
portAnt question that ought to be definite.
ly and promptly settled.
THR warfare between religion and its
opponents in England grows very lively.
The Pope, in spite oil the blow dealt him