Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-03-05
CIVIL RIGHTS IN TENNESSEE.
The COurier-Journal man AZ Nasl
Vile DiseOurses ON the Subject.

clte great interest; indeed, in every
| have met it has been the chief
OF conversation. How best to
eyade its provisions and OF the same
time keep without the pale Of the much
dreaded though little respected Federal
coHrts is the idea uppermosti in the minds
those with whom | have talked. A
great variety Of opinions exist, but
above all other considerations, | am
happy to say that no single threat has
to my hearing. 1t seems to be
agreed that to the great masses Of the
negroes it will be a dead letter, but
there will be enough of the worst and
most designing class who will avail
themselves Of its provisions to plague
and annoy the whites. Especially is
this dreaded where airy bad white man
has the leadership.
Prominent gentlemen differ as to its
effect. Some, and they are in the ma.
jority, counsel forbearance and an ap-
peal to the courts for a test of const;tu-
~tionality, while others, more despairing,
take a darker view, and, pointing to the
partisan Federal courts, ask, What
chance has a Southern man against a
negro there2' The best lawyers agree
as to the unconstitutionality OF the mea.
sure, but how can hat be jH~dicially set
tled2 Only by an appeal to the Supreme
Court, where it would be placed. at the
foot OF the docket. and could mol be
called short OF two years. Those who
think it would be advanced on the docket
simply know nothing of the makeup Of
that court.
THE HOTEL KEEPERS
are alarmed and at q loss to know what
to do. Either horn OF the dilemma is
r%uinous to them. II they refuse 10 fur
nish board to the negro who is sure to
ask it sooner or later, they will be
dragged before n Federal court and fined
and imprisoned. Fifteen hundred dol
lars is not a pleasant sum to pay for
refusing q dinner to the ioulest and most
odorous negro from the slums of Nash.
vile. But take the other view OF the
case. Suppose q negro applies for board
here at the Maxwell aud is accepted and
comes into the parlors and dining rooms
with the same privileges that | enjoy, or
the other guests enjoy. Don't you know
that in less than t%wenty-four hours the
house would be %depopulated, not a guest
remaining. Which shall the inn keeper
do2 Refuse the negro from day to day
and be fined $500 and 90 TO Jail three
months for each ~ofense, or accept the
negro and ruin his business in that way2
GOVERNOR PORTER
counsels submission, aud so does every
conservative citizen; but here you see
that submission on the part Of a hotel
keeper will ruin his business quite as
readily as rejection.
The Governor correctly says that the
great masses Of the negroes will not at
tempt to use their new power, but one
healthy, able bodied black rascal, aided
aud abetted by some designing villain of
the white race, in this instance can
create as much discord as n regiment Of
negroes. 1t will not do to say that the
white man counseling such action shall
be prosecuted for champerty. for that
would simply punish the white man,
while the negro would be left free to con
tinue in stirring up strife, and after once
embarking on that tempestuOus sea he
would hardly stop until he met the inev
table.
LEGISLATION ABOUT 1T.
As an attempt to eyade at least a por,
zion OF the iniquity, the following bill
was Yesterday introduced in the Senate
by General Wilson, but subsequently
withdrawn because seme Of the proyis
ions seemed to require changes. The
bill is as follows:
An act for the benefit Of hotels and
boarding houses, aud TO repeal sub see
ton IS OF 5l3 OF the Code.
Sec. /. Be it enacted, etc, That no
hotel or innkeeper shall be compelled 10
receive or entertain against his or her
wishes any persons as guests in their
houses, for compensation or otherwise;
and a refusal to receive or entertain such
person OF persons shall not subject him,
o. her, or them 10 any civil action for
damage or criminal action for character,
nor subject them to any forfeiture what
soever.
Sec. 2. That subsection 30 Of section
SAB Of Thompson aud Sterger's Code,
and all other laws or parts OF laws in con
dict with this act be aud the same are
hereby repealed. Aud no license or
privilege tax shall be assessed or col
lected from any hotel or innkeeDer by
the State Of Tennessee or any county or
corporation Of this State.
Sec. 3. That this oct shall take effect
from its passage, the public welfare re.
curing it.
A bill more sweeping in its nature was
introduced in the House by j. Harvey
Mathes, but they are each Of them a de-
luslon aud a snare. The General AS.
sembly may pass them, but they will
only serve as a bar against an action in
any State court. No mere act Of a Leg.
i%slature can close the doors Of a Federal
court against a citizen who makes oath
that he has no remedy in a State court,
nor will such be the case so long as a
negro is the plaintiff.
That there will be action taken by the
Legislature, | have no doubt, but 10 be
made available in the slightest degree il
should be held back until after the 4th :
Of March for obvious reasons. The
shrewd lawyers Of the two houses may
be able to find some loop hole Of escape
aud by a cunningly devised law, evade 1
some Of the provisions, and 10 that end :
the attention Of all intelligent members :
should be turned. I