The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-28
PAUL AND THE COLOR LINE.
An Episode I'm the City School Board
Captain Paul Insists Upon the
Discharge OF Levels.

! In the City School Board night before
last there was a tilt between Mr.. Reddy
and Captain Paul, whereof various reports
have been given; but OF which the follow
ing seems to be the truth, or as near to il as
can be gotten at this time:
Captain Paul: Gentlemen OF the Board,
/ look upon each one OF you as a genteel
man. and am genteel man myself; but
holding position on this Board, as | do,
think / am entitled to be respected. and
each and every member OF this Board
should protect me, as well as each other,
when assailed outside OF this meeting. A
creature named Levels has been ting about
me, and he has employed his wife to go
about among white people to vilify and
abuse me. My old mother used to
say OF me, "Well, Robert won't
lie; he'll take whipping first y; I;
and / won't lie, gentlemen; but this
man Levels has lied, and has not been treat
ing me as an employe ought to treat his
employer. WE employ these ianitors, and
they ought to respect us. am colored
man, but / am genteel man and gentle
man, and every one on this Board is A gen.
teel man and gentleman. / have no per-
sonal feeling in this matter only look for
that respect tina. is due me. and must have
it. / am generous. Nothing small about
Captain Paul. Levels should be punished.
Mr.. Reddy, who had advocated and
elected Levels, said that he was in for
maintaining the dignity OF this Board, and
he thought he had done so in advocating
Levels for ianitor OF Madison school.
Levels was highly endorsed by white and
colored who knew him, and Captain PauPs
statements were only statements, after all,
and not even subscribed to by 4 single
witness. He was tired OF Captain Paul's
talk TO this Board. He talks about his
generosity. Well, who can GffOrd to be
more generous than he? Did not this
Board, or a majority OF il, vote to dis
miss twenty-Seyen highly-respectable, re-
spoEsibIe, and efficient lady teachers,
and elect, on Paufs say-so, twenty
seven colored teachers, about whom
we knew nothing. This Board has done
more for Captain Paul than for all the
other members together? Yet he is not
satisfied. 1t is time to stop this talk Of
icbite and black. And am happy to be
able TO say that not single member OF this
Board has ever used the words white and
coloTed in its meetings since its creation
but Captain Paul. Lies told about any
genteel person will not hurt him. 1t
is only the truth that hurts. This
Board has done good act III electing
Levels, and i hope they Will not
disturb his equilibrium now at the request
Of Captain Paul. Levels denies all that has
been said against him. Captain Paul here
said that he could prove by twenty-seyen
witnesses that he was abused by Levels.
Mr.. Reddy replied: "Wel, can prore by
t,CO hundred that they neUer heard him de
vels) eren mention your (pauPs) name"
"Does the gentleman question my We
racitvI" said Paul.
Reddy. laughing, said bis meaning was
easily understood; the chairman was 4
lawyer, and could explain it il it was
cloudy. or course don't mean to say that
Captain Paul lies, for he says nothing Of
his 0icn knouiedge against this man. All he
states is hedrSdy, and consequently should
not be considered by this Board.
At this point the whole matter was re-
ferred, on motion OF Mr.. Fisher, TO the
Committee on Schools and Buildings.