The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-01-07
An Act to Confirm Prejudice.

The probability of the passage of Civ
IL Rights Bill is not great, but that is no
reason for the introduction of such an
act as has been presented to the House
by the Judiciary Committee If as the
opponents of the bill constantly declare,
we cannot, abolish prejudice by law, we
are certainly not called upon to sustain
ana perpetuate it by law. Yet this is
what the proposed bill does. 1t is an act
to stigmatize class of American citizens
on account of color and previous condi-
ton of servitude. This it does by author
lzlng any State to maintain separate
schools or institutions with equal facili-
ties IN all respects to all classes entitled
thereto. But as separate schools are de-
manded only on account of color, this is
the authority TO establish them Of
course such provision makes the whole
bill ridiculous, as any shrewd Democrat
could instantly show by moving to amend
by making the provision which applies
to schools apply also to inns, public
conveyances on land and water, theaters,
and other places of public amusement"
Ii the prejudice against color is to be re-
spected in the school-house why not in
the theater and the tavern and the rail
road car? 1t is no harder for white
child to sit beside colored child at
school than for white parent to sit be-
side colored parent in a car or at pub
lie table or III theater. The distinction
is without difference. The bill as re-
ported is an insult to every intelligent
colored citizen, as it is humiliation to
every white citizen who remembers that
the Constitution guarantees to all the
equal protection of the laws-a guaran-
tee which is deliberately violated when
the law stigmatizes any class of innocent
| citizens under any pretense whatever
The folly of such rule was shown by
Mr.. Conway's letter describing his ex-
perience as Superintendent of Schools in
Louisiana and by the daily reports from
| New Orleans, which state that ''the color
line in schools promises to be the mo-
mentous question: as it is difficult to set
tie who are colored" As for the alleged
! prejudice, it is now frankly confessed
that before the war the lighterleolored
children-quadroons and others-were
admitted to the schools, and no issue
was raised while it is perfectly well
| known that some of the most refined,
cultivated, courteous, and wealthy citi-
zens in that city were tainted color.
But not only is it impracticable to de-
eide who is 'colored," but even if every
child who is to be stigmatized by this
law were coal-black, so that no question
|
guy thus cast by law upon certain citi-
zens to whom the Constitution secures
equality Suppose any other class against
whom there is a similar feeling should
be selected for this leper-lil1e segrega-
ton, its enormity and injustice would be
at once conceded. If. for instance, the
Jews were by law separated from the
rest of their fellow-citizens in schools and
other public institutions, the sense OF
shame in all decent American breasts
would soon burn out the law from the
statute-book. In darker ages and more
| barbarous countries than ours the j ews
were the victims of an inhuman prejudice.
What does the honorable American think
of those times and countries? And does
he wish that his country to-day shall fol
low that example? There is, indeed, a
difference in the cases. The feeling
against the Jew was the growth of a
Christian tradition of hatred against
those who had crucifed the Son of God
The feeling against the colored race is
the American tradition of hatred against
those whom we have foully wronged
The prejudice unquestionably exists
but why should Republican Congress
propose to strengthen and perpetuate il
by law? Is any member of Congress sc
amusingly stupid as to suppose that q
prejudice strong enough to separate the
schools would permit them to be equal
'in all respects?' or that it is of any
practical use to enact that pariah who
is excluded from the schools and GENE
teries may have full and equal enjoy
ment of the accommodations, advantag
es, facilities, and privileges of inns, pub
lie conveyances on land and water, thea
ters, and other places of public amuse
ment? Moreover, it is as impossible tc
determine what is a full and equal en-
joyment of such privileges as it is to de
eide who is "colored The bill will mo-
pass, and it certainly ought not to pass
-Harper's Weekly