Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-10-31
per cent. The following compilation exhib.
ita fha detail of increase
SOME FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF TIE
CIVIL RIGHTS BILL.

As the debate on the defunct civil
rights bill continues, more and more of
light is shed upon its history. 1t appears
that it never was enforced. That it did
not, in fact, secure to the negro civil rights
but aimed at the guarantee of social rights
thing with which, obviously, government
cannot meddle. The measure under which
the negro was secured in his civil rights,
besides the constitutional amendments. was
passed ten years prior to the "Social"
Rights Act, has had full force and effect
and has never been assailed. The other
day we pointed out that Kansas had a
civil rights bill some years before Con-
gress attempted to legislate on the subject
at all. 1t now develops that other States
have similar bills upon their statute books,
notably Pennsylvania, which passed one as
far back as 1865. The New York Tribune
suggests, with some caustic wit in the
hint, that it is good time for Ohio to
enact similar law, now that the Democ.
racy goes into power, and can thus prove
the faith that in it was when it made such
fair promises to secure the eolored vote for
Hoadly. Attention is still being called to
the fact we have already alluded to, that
the colored mans rights are secured to him
under the general laws OF the country. and
do not need the adventitious aid Of special
legislation. This was demonstrated in the
a river capt ain for refusing to carry him on
his passenger boat from Vicksburg to New
Orleans. The plaintiff based his action on
a law of Louisiana prohibiting any
passenger carrier from discriminating
between passengers on account of
race or color. The Supreme Court
of the United States then held that
the Act interfered with interstate com
merce, and therefore the law was void
but the Court clearly gave it to be under.
stood that in shat case there was no neces-
sity for the local law, and that the right
of the passenger to travel on the boat did
not need local legislation for its guarantee.
1t is noticed in this regard that the colored
citizens are differing widely in their esti-
mates of the effect of the recent decision,
An intelligent colored man at the recent
meeting in San Francisco concluded that
all the rights he enjoyed were secured to
hxyo ~ lou \ IL.
Civil Rights Act, and therefore he saw no
reason to regret its death. So, too, col
ored minister in Richmond told his hearers
to take no alarm, as the law had no signif.
canoe above the guarantees of the Four.
teenth Amendment, which nothing short
of the action of the States of the Union ac.
cording to the processes of repeal could af-
feet. One of the colored Bishops of the
Denver Conference thought the decision
had trampled on the rights Of the colored
man, but he did not venture to enter upon
an analysis of the rights thus made door
mat. Had he done so, he would have
been much surprised when he found him.
self unable to name single privilege or
immunity which he enjoyed under law be.
fore the decision that he does not still en-.
joy. His exclamation was a bit of indig.
nant eloquence, backed by his lack of
knowledge of the law, and, therefore, un.
der the circumstances pardonable. Rev.
Mr.. Laws, Washington colored minister,
on the contrary, says to his people "the
law was dead letter. 1t never had any
vitality. 1t afforded us no protection.
The rights we have under the Constitution
and the laws are ali that we need ask for"