The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-03-26
CASTE.
The '.sun" still Advocates the Drawing Of
the Line Of D~emarcation.

10 the Eutor 81 he Leader:
The issue Of the Sun, on Monday
evening, furnished the reading public
of this city with another article on the
question of caste and the rights of per-
sons in public places of amusement.
The claims set up in this article resem-
BILE somewhat the first effort of that
paper on this question. But the mean
behring's are so frequent that it would
puzzle anyone to understand exactly
what point was to be made. The effort
can best be described by the following
lines from Hudibras about the snake:
"winding in and winding out,
Leaving the observer still In doubt,
whether the snake that made the track
Was going south or coming back"
Laying aside, however, all criminal
tions as to the double purpose of the
article, I will consider it plainly.
The statement that a public theatre
is free for all who pay the stipulated
admittance fee, and that it is regulated
in this respect by the same laws that
fix the rights of citizens in travelling
upon a railroad train or steamboat,
will not, I suppose, be denied. Should
it, however, fall into the hands of a
disbeliever, / will simply refer him to
the many judicial decisions to that
effect from the highest court in our
land.
A theatre, then, in the general ac-
ceptation Of the term, is not a place
where only the select few is admitted,
but where everyone has a right to go
when the admittance fee is paid. 1t
follows, then, that a poor woman or
man, no matter what the color or moral
standing may be, can purchase a GER
tain seat and occupy it regardless of the
wishes Of those around. Further, the
ticket agent has no right to refuse the
sale of any scat that is not taken, when
called for and the money rendered in
payment. The same laws hold good as
regards public carriers. Under this
head is classed railroads, stage coaches,
etc. For example: Let the most dis
solute oma go to the railroad ticket
office OF this city ana ask for rates to
San Francisco; the ticket agent would
say, II will sell you an emigrant ticket
or a second-class ticket for such a sum;
and 1 will sell you a irst-class ticket
for so much, entitling the holder to
one irst-class passage to San Francisco;
and on the payment of another sum, 1
will assign you to a berth in the Pull
man palace carr The agent cannot re-
fuse to sell a berth in the car if there
is one unoccupied, although it places
the most notorious cyprian in existence
along side the noblest ladies in the
land. The party who pays the stated
price of al accommodation on a rail-
road train or in Il theatre, is entitled
to the full benefit of the purchase by
the laws of free America, no matter
how much it wounds the sensibilities
Of others.
In a social point of view, ladies and
gentlemen who attend public entertain
ments are placed in the same position
as regards other parties as though they
met on the public thoroughfares of the
city. They are under no obligations to
recognize or show them the slightest
courtesy. Should any one, however,
no matter to what peculiar class he or
she belonged, insult, or use any offens-
i've language, it would he the duty of
=. =.
the management or the police to put
the party under arrest and out of the
house. Ladies and gentlemen, there
fore, are entitled to the same protec-
ton at theatres as in any other public
place or street, and no more. b
The Sun writer blames the managers
for selling tickets to drunken e
The probability is that when they APP
piled for tickets they were sober, at
least, it is impossible to attach any
blame to that quarter. The theory
Of the San to sell tickets only to peo-
pie of ''known respectability'' is all
bosh. The question of responsibility
reaches almost as many standards as
there are shades of society. Tickets
should be sold to all, and if the parties
who are bearers of them do not
conduct themselves properly, they
should be put out Of the hall.
JUSTICE.
CHEYENNE, March 20, 1879.