The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1874-08-22

pupils of the public schools to be
taughtin separate buildings or rooms.as
they are taught in Cairo. Even the col
ored people OF Cairo do not want mixed
schools, aud Mr.. Obcrly never for q
moment thought Of advocating the
commingling Of white and black pupils
in tho same rooms and classes. lie
never voted for bill to establish such
a practice.
Well, then, what bill did Mr.. Oberly
vote tor that has given his enemies an
opportunity to make this charge against
him For bill that provided
That no school officers, phose
duty IL wds ander the ,uw Of 1872 TO
provide for the education Of all chit
dren in their districts, should prohibit
any child, on account Of color, from at.
tending the school it is entitled TO at.
tend under the constitution OF 1870
and the law of 1872 that il any school
officers do exclude, or aid in the eIclu.
sion from the school it is entitled to at.
tend, of any child, on account of such
child's color, such officers shall be lined
not less than IS nor more than 800.
Is there anything wrong in this
provision OF the law voted
for by Mr.. Oberly 2--is
there anything in it that can be con.
strued, by any fair minded man, into an
attempt to compel white and black chill
dren to commingle in the same school
roomY Not at all 1t does not repeal
or modify the right Of school directors
to send colored pupils to one school,
and white pupils to another. 1t simply
says: "The constitution provides that
all cMhfren of the State, white and
black shall receive the benefits of the
common schools; that the law Of
1872 says that school direo.
tors shall provide suf-
ficient number of free schools in their
district to educate al the chiiira,
10 the district, ,ohite and Jlack hat,
if school directors, having taken an
oath to carry out the provisions Of this
law, shall exclude any child from the
school it is entitled to attend, because
the child is black or because it is
white, such directors shall be punished
by fine.
2. That any person who by threats or
violence prevents coiorsd child from
attending the school it is entitled to
attend under the law of 1872, should
be fined in any sum not exceeding 825.
There is nothing whatever in this
law that squints towards mixed schools
and we believe no thoughtful citizen
after he has considered it, will object
to or blame Mr.. Oberly for his vote in
favor Of it. If colored child has q
right to go to n school and officers
deny to it that right because it so no,
Of their color, they should be fined
and if any person wishes to break a
negro child's head because it attempts
to 60 to the school it is entitled to at.
tend, the white citizen who INDUCES in
this luxury should not object to pay q
fine ranging from one cent to S25.
Mr.. Oberly voted for this bill be.
cause he had satisfactory evidence that
Its enactment was dema nded but he
did not dream that it had any tendency
to inaugurate mixed schools in Illinois
While he insists that it is our duty "a
educate the colored children and as
speedily as possible--that the interests
of the whole country demand tina,
they be raised out Of the slough OF
ignorance-he is in favor Of separate
schools, and would not consent to
mixed schools.