The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-03

End OF the Deadlock ON the Civil
Rights Bin.
The extraordinary contest over the Civil
Rights bill, on which weeks time has been
squandered in parliamentary flibustering and
trials Of physical endurance has resulted in
suoh change Of tho rules as will preclude
such tussles during the remainder Of the
session. In estimating this remarkable
Legislative battle we must not overlook the
motives of the combatAnts on each side.
Neither party cares . straw for the Civil
Rights bill on its merits. II the republicans
had thought it wise and desirable they could
easily have passed it at the last session, when
1t came from the Senate Il lay several
months on the table of the House, but was
the President would kill it by . veto If IL
should pass. Had the elections of tho year
been favorable to tho republicans 1t would
not have been heard Of again. But
overwhelming defeat of their party, and the
new complications arising out Of the military
dispersion of the Louisiana Legislature, have
forced the administration to o change Of base
the negro issue and fight the next political
battle on that question. The Civil Rights
bill is merely symbol of this policy. It is
hoped that it will reunite the negro vote Of the
South, on which the democratic party were
beginning to make inroads. and that it will
arouse the decaying zeal Of Northern repub-
licans in behalf of negro rights. By setting !
the outrage mill in operation and flooding the
republican press mill with highly colored ac-
counts of White League murders the repub-
ican leaders think they may reinvigorate
their party
The flibustering opposition of the demo-
Gratis proceeds also from mere political cal
culation- They would gain more than they
would lose by the passage of the Civil Rights
bill, but they think it necessary to de-
monstrate to the Southern whites that
they mean to stand by them and strenuously
fight their battles. The Civil Rights bill
will strengthen the democratic party in
the South if passed in spite of democratic
opposition in Congress The negroes are too
poor to ride in palace cars, attend fashionable
theatres and pay for accommodations in first
class hotels. Legislation may bestow on them
the empty right, but it cannot put money in
their pockets to be spent in luxuries above
their condition. A civil rights bill might
secure to negroes the legal right to bury their
dead in Greenwood Cemetery, but it cannot
compel the proprietors to sell them lots at
lower price than to white citizens, and people
who are fastidious in such matters would have
complete guarantee against negro intrusion
in the impecuniosity which places Greenwood
lots beyond the reach of negro purchasers
The mere passage of law comforting upon
negroes rights of which they can make no
practical use is of little consequence one way
or the other. So far as it had any
operation it would be for the ad-
vantage of the democratic party by
shutting up one of the mills for the manufac-
ture of outrages. The reason why hotel keep
ers and the managers of theatres refuse adj
mission to negroes is the fear of offending their
white patrons. But if the law allowed them
no liberty their white patrons could not take
offence ct what was done under compulsion,
and political mischief makers would have no
motive to supply presuming negroes with
money to test o claim which was no longer re-
sisted. The poverty of tho negroes would
then put the question to sleep and save every
body from annoyance except in rare cases. It
is only admission to schools that could occa-
sion disturbance; but if equally good sepa-
rate schools were provided for both races
negro children would generally prefer the
colored schools, where they would avoid the
jeers and contempt Of white schoolmates,
which no law could suppress or prevent. The
passage of q civil rights bill would close up
one source of agitation, and it is for the in
terest of the democratic party that the negro
agitation should die out We cannot see that
the question is worth the vehement struggle
and long deadlock of the last week.
Tho Story OF . Mysterious Book.
Nearly half century since the adventurous
American, who is always on his travels, hap
pened to be in London and while he was
there some patriotic Briton gave to the world
n Loco 70 uv,k of <bo 60 of