The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-03-20
CIVIL RIGHTS.
of the scctS

The newspapers are tolerably busted abou,
civil rights lust now, and in few localities
threaten to become excited. 1t don't look,
however, as if th0re was much danger OF
bloodshed The most tragic case we have
vet seen reported is that OF Georgia Niger
barber who was one Of a party in Atlanta
that visited sundry bar rooms and demanded
drinks, like white folks He got the
drinks, but lost his custom, whereat he was
80 grieved that he committed suicide In
Chicago two hungry colored individuals
went into hotel kept on the European
plan." and seating themselves at a table, de-
manded to be waited on. They were refused,
upon which they retired in good order and
appealed for redress to the best government
under the sun which guarantees to every citi.
gen, without reference to class, caste, race
color or previous condition of servtude, equal
rights in pursuit of happiness and pork and
beans. The hotel keeper, to avoid the intiic,
ton ofhcavy fines, talks of retiring from bust.
ness In Augusta, Ga, much excitement arose
because supposed negro attendant upon a
white invalid appeared with the invalid at .
hotel table, but The excitement died away
when it was discovered that the supposed ne.
gro was Pcquod Indian. Though his face was
as black as that of any niger, perhaps his
soul was regarded as of a lighter hue. In
New Orleans the theatres have adopted the
dodge of issusng tickets with an agreement
upon the back that the holder of this ticket
consents to surrender his right to enter the
theatre on receiving his money back a. the
door. Of course, on arriving at the door, an
unjust discrimination IS made in favor Of ne
groes who, instead of being admitted, re.
ceivc their money back. No negroes bought
any of the tickets, but several negroes
having bought tickets to the gallery,
instead of taking the side appropriated to the
"colored people" sat down among the whites.
A young mulatto, among the others, did this.
Immediately the rowdies, s,rumpets and loaf.
ers who were disgraced by the contract rals.
ed the war.whoop, and the saffron colOred
gentleman was spun out of doors, knocked
down once or twice and then pitched down
the gallery steps. The biggest kind of law.
suit is expected to follow the outrage.
The BILL upon the whole, proves of little
advantage to the Oppressed race" Instead
of "elevating" them in the social scale it is
much more calculated to intensity the preju-
dice against them, while there are few provis-
ions of the bill that cannot be eyaded in one
way or another The most hopeful feature
about 1t is, however, that the general good
senss of the negroes themselves will make
the law virtually a dead letter Few of them
care to risk the discomfort of and intrusion
into society where they are not wanted, and
most of them have good sense enough to
know that such society is, for their own en-
ioyment, of all others the most unsuited and
uncongenial AS for the white hotel keepers,
saloon keepers, &c, &c, it would be much
better for them to laugh than worry and fret,
The negro, like water, will find his level, and
we shall probably see no more OF him here
after than heretofore, notwithstanding the
laundering congressional enactment