The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-06-03
The Civil Rights Bill.

, The Civil Rights Bill mas passed the
Senate by vote of % to 1s-very near
a two-thirds majority-and a vote very
nearly as large may be expected in the
House; so that unless the Presidents
veto be interposed, which is not at all
likely, the bill will doubtless soon be-
come law. It has been supported as a
party measure, and is designed to
strengthen the Republican party in the
faith of its Southern friends AS was
stated in the debate on its passage, its
object is to conciliate the eight hundred
thousand colored voters, who hold the
balance of power, and whose support
must be secured at all hazards. Wheth-
er the confidence of its friends be well
or i'll founded, whether it will not pro.
ducc discord rather than harmony, and
offend more than it will conciliate, re-
mains to be seen. At any rate, we OF
South Carolina, who have been subjected
to all the changes of progressive lcgisla-
ton on the part of Republican reform
ers, will find very little in the bill which
is in advance of our own statute Oh the
subject, and may be content ito COM
mend the poisoned chalice" of social
equality TO the lips of our Northern
friends.
The following is the frstsection of the
BILL
"All citizens and other persons within
the Jurisdiction of the United States
shall be entitled to the full and equal
enjoyment of the accommodations, adj
vantages, facilities and privileges OF
inns, public convcyances on land or
water, theatres and other places of pub
lie amusement, and also of common
schools and public institutions of learn
ing or benevolence supported in whole
or in part by general taxation, and OF
cemeteries so supported, and also the
institutions known as Agricultural Col
leges, endowed by the United States,
subject only to the conditions and limi-
tations established by law and applicable
alike to citizens of every race and color,
regardless of any previous condition OF
servitude."
The second section provides that the
party offending shall pay to the party
gricved the sum of $500, or, upon con.
viction, shall he fined in sum not ex-
ceeding $1,000; and the third section
confers exclusive Jurisdiction upon the
United States Circuit and District
Courts to punish for all violations of the
Act. The fourth section is in these
words -
"That no citizen possessing all ether
qualifications which are or may be pre-
scriGcd by law shall be disqualified for
service az grand or petit juror in any
court of the United States, or of any
State, on account of race, color or pre-
vious condition of scrvitudc: and any
officer or other persons charged with any
duty in the selection or summoning OF
jurors, who shall exclude or fail to sum-
mon any citizen for the cause aforesaid,
shall be deemed guilty cf q misdemcan-
or and be fined not less than 81 ,0C0.
It will DC seen that the provisions ol
the bill differ but little from those OF
our own Legislature on the subject.
which for years has been in the interest
of the colorcd race, and prohibits undel
heavy penalties any discrimination be-
tween the races, or the part Of those
who exercise any public calling under
State license: We have become accus'
toned to sit with the blacks on jurics
on railroad cars, and in places Of emusc'
ment; and if we have not been afflicted
with their presence in our churches AUD
hotels, it has been owing, we suppose
to the fact that they preferred to be by
themselves. We have learned to bear /,
good deal, and are prepared to bear 8
good deal more, if we can only have tho
fellowship of our Northern friends, veri
flying the truth of the adage that "mis
cry loves company"