Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-03-06
HOME RULE,

New Y OrK w ORD.
The civil rights bill mas become law
by the Presidents approval, and our
readers can now probably inquire what
it demands of them. Its material re-
quirements are these:
SECTION l. That all persons within
the jurisdiction of the United States
shall be entitled to the full and equal en-
joyment Of accommodations, advanta-
ges, facilities ard privileges of inns,
public conveyances on land or water,
theaters and other places of public
amusement, subject only to conditions
and limitations established by law and
applicable elike to citizens OF avery race
and color, regardless Of any previous
condition Of Servitude.
Sec. 2. That any person who shall vio-
late the foregoing section by denying to
any citizen, except for reasons by law
applicable to citizens of every race and
color, and regardless OF any previous
condition Of servitude, the full enjoy
ment OF any of the accommodations, ad-
vantages, facilities or privileges in said
section enumerated, or by aiding or in
citing such denial, shall, for every of
tense, forfeit and pay, etc.
Then follows provisions about punish
ments and courts Of trial; but as Demo-
crat3 do not propose to violate the law
these provisions are of no consequence.
Another section declares:
Sec. 4. That no citizen possessing
all other qualifications which are or may
be prescribed by law, shall be disquali.
fed for service as grand or petit
juror in any court of the
United States or Of any State on ac-
count of race, color or previous condi-
ton of servitude, and any officer or
other person charged with any duty of
selection or summOning of jurors, who
shall exclude or fail to summon any citi-
zen for the cause aforesaid, shall, on
conviction, be deemed guilty of a mis-
demeanor and be fined not more than
five thousand dollars.
One readily sees what the first section
is intended to ordain, but its language is
most inartistic. By "all persons" is
doubtless meant all citizens, and not all
foreigners and aliens; and by "within
the jlsrisdict6O11" is intended within the
territorial limits; and the inns, theaters,
etc., referred to must doubtless be those
in this country, and not those in Eu-
rope, Asia or Africa. A diplomatic
agent, or consul, or naval officer of the
United States when in Europe con-
tinues, under certain circumstances,
'twithin the jurisdiction of the United
States" but we don't suppose congress
intended to prevent a European hotel
keeper from excluding either of these
officials from bed and board on account
of his race or color. Aud yet who can
tell? In this country the common or
statute law Of each State regulates the
rights and duties of inn-keepers and
managers OF such public conveyances as
are common carriers in each State, and
under these State laws congress says ne
groes shall be subject to no other condi-
tions or limitations Of admission or ex-
clusion or treatment than is every
body. Cannot Massachusetts now
incorporate or authorize hotel,
OF railway, or steamboat company
within her limits exclusively for
blacks? Can she not license 8 theater
exclusively for negroes and with power
to keep out white people? And then as
to jury lists, cannot the legislature of
Massachusetts say that none but White
men shall be liable to serve as jurymep,
and if so, has a black man in that State
any remedy under the civil rights law,
if he is thereby excluded from jury duty?
II, to reverse the picture, the negroes are
in q majority in South Carolina, and
they frame new State constitution ex-
cluding white men from executive and
judicial offices, and from juries, and 8
majority Of the voters of the State ratify
it, what redress can be given to the ex-
cluded white men under the civil rights
law OF any other Federal legislation?
And il, by authority of this same con-
stitution, the South Carolina Legislature
ordains that only negroes shall be enti-
tied to demand accommodation in cer-
tain inns, transportation in certain pub
lie cOnveyances, or amusement in GER
tain theateTs under control of or incOr-
pOrated by that state, what can white
folks do about it under any Federal
power?
THEATERs, HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS
OF NEW YORK.
New York Tribune
A Tribune reporter conversed yester-
day with the managers OF several of the
leading theaters as to the probable effect
of the law on their business. Theodore
Mess, of Wallaek's Theater, said that
the management had not determined
how to act. Theaters are luxury, and
the managers ought to have the right to
run them in their own way, and admit
whom they please to admit, and to re-
fuse admission to those who would in
jure their business or who were other
wise Objectionable. Sheridan Shook, Of
the Union Square Theater, stated that
the theater would no doubt obey the
law, but it did not follow that cOlOred
people would be admitted except on
the conditions made by the proprietors.
Mr.. Fiske. OF Daly's Fifth Avenue
Theater, said that there had been
set aside a portion of the
family circle in that house