The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-06-04

il lights bill reads we'll in a hotel Office and
public reading room, but it won't pay a hotel
bill, and it won't educate the black man or the
white. Liberty is Il good thing Which all nave
here. Political equality is Il good thing winch
all have here. Bit social equality OF DAD Win
good, of the willing and unwilling, necessarily
to. mix together, is abal thing For TO aiio"
a bad white man or black to have the same cooi-
tesies allowed him. Or the vulgar white man IN
the parlor Of his intelligent, respectable neiglf-
Dor would be to destroy all the inducements
aud aspirations for tits bad, ignordnt man to
change his habits and become enlightened and
respected, for these are the passports to good
society the world over. ~.
This article was prepared without reference
to and before our attention had been called to
an editorial article in the. Findtcator OF the
29th ult., andanother in the Spectator OF the
End inst, on the same subject. We had IN our
mind, however, just such mschievous, not to
say vicious appeals to passion and prejudice,
and It was with view to allaylng these, tilat
we have treated this subject calmly anu logic
ally. The -Vindicufor calls to its aid in Illus
trsltion of the nightmare under which it is sui
fering number of.ter.ibly destructive agents,
such as sengines, = .smowng machines, broad
tires, wheels, juggernalts. &C., to demonstrate
the effect the passage of the bill Will have
The Spectatorsis equally felicitious in its con-
jurng upof "9prgons Dire and confidently
pretNcts the destruction of Insane Asyyums,
Deaf and Dumb ssAasyltGns, Colleges, Military
Schools, and iaf-rsntialy the closing OF church
es. These nervous gentlemen have certainly
lost theirsxits, and in the stead Of rational ar
gument they have supplied a rigamardle OF
nonsense for the edification of their readers
We do not believe that the effects of the pas
sage of the bill would practically he harmful, it
demagogues could be silencad. We are salts
fed no attempt would be made to mix the
schools, but designing men would take hold OF
the subjects sand do precisely what the Vindi-
Gator and Spectator are trying to do-e1clte
feeling that would destroy the free school sys-
tenn. There are those who are opposed to the
system per se-thefe are others who wish to
draw the lines tighter between the races, and
between these two classes, and few editors
who really do not appreciate the position they
hold, and never reach 4 conclusion by a pro-
cess of ratioeination, race prejudices could be
infamed, and the peace of society, and
the well sheing Of the colored people
seriou.ly Affected. So far as the principle in
volyed IS Concerned; t..iere ought to be no COM
paint, fofsthe people have endorsed it overa and
over aggai1I: Citizenship carries with it all the
rights and priyileges for each subject that the
other enjoys. The legislation i'll question is
merely a matter Of e1pediency, and believing
that no good and much harm will be the result
to the colored people themselves, we think it
inexpedient' to- enact the-:bill, in its present
shape and at the present time, into law. II the
people were all babies, they might have their
apprehensions seriously excited by the hob
COLLINS OF the Spectator. Adult men, however,
can reason this natter for themselves, and
when there is a little common sense brought to
their aid, they can see that the passage Of the
bill will only answer the purpose of a club in
the hands. Of demagogues with which to bella
Dor the colored people without bringing to them
any eompensating benefits.
We want little rest on this question Of
race prejudice. Let Time have a chance, land
it will smooth down the rough edges, and as
these give way, the principles and policy OF
the Republican party will rise to the fore
ground, stripped of the encumbrance OF preju-
dice that has attended it in Virginia and COM
mead itself ;tozthe confidence and approving
judgment Of the country. The Republicans as
party, AMI the negro as race, have all to
lose and nothingto gain by the passage Of the
civil rights. bill i'll its present shape.