Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-07-17
From the Register.
Social Equality.

DAYTON, JULY Z, 1888.
MeSSrs. Editors Much has been said
through the columns of your paper in re-
gard to social equality as practiced in this
place by one who has just been appointed
as Superintendent of Public Schools of
Rockingham county by the State School
Board, with Governor Cameron at its head.
The charge has been made, and while
| the columns of your paper have been thrown
open to Mr.. Funkhouser. he has not denied
the charge Or offered any excuse, whatever.
Why? Because he knows the charge is
true to the letter. The Spirit of the Talley,
published in HarHihpnburg, however,
with or without authority, says that Mr..
| Funkhouser did invite the negro to eat, but
| all that Mr.. F. did was to sit down at the
table while he ate, and that it was not at
the regular meal hour. This statement is
untrue. Now let facts speak for them
selves
| During the session of 1SSO-1SS1 of the
| Shenandoah Seminary in this place, which
was owned and controlled by him, for
young ladies and gentlemen, colored man
came to Dayton. He stopped with the
Rev. Charles M. Holt, of the U. B. Church,
and when dinner time came, Rev. Charles
M. Holt and family ate after they had
finished, the negro was asked to eat, which
he did. That evening the negro went up
to see Rev. A. P. Funkhouser, at the Sem
mary. When the hour arrived the first bell
for tea rang, but the second bell, which
was the call for the boarders, did not ring
as usual. After waiting until after the us:
ual time for the ringing of the second bell,
one of the pupils, a boarder supposing that
the bell had rung without his hearing it,
entered the dining room. He found seated
at the table eating their supper the colored
man, Rev. A. P. Funkhouser, his wife,
mOther-in-law, and Miss Cupp, who was
staying in the family. The pupil immedi-
ately retired from the room and then call
ed the attention of other pupils to the
scene which they witnessed.
After the colored man hsd taken social
tea with the family, the table was prepared
for boarders, who entered and took their
meal. But the negro ate with the family,
at the same time, at the same table, and at
the regular meal hour, and the boarders had
to wait until this social tea was over.
These are the facts, and they can be es-
tablished by many witnesses and the Rev.
gentleman who is now, by the grace of Ma
hone, the Superintendent of Public Schools
of this county, is dared to deny them. In
addition to the above, since the charge was
made through the columns of the Register,
| this gentleman, who is to manage and con-
troll the public schools Of this county has
declared that he did eat with this colored
man, that he was gentleman, and that he
would eat with him again if he had the op-
portunity. This, too, can be established
by various witnesses, and he is challenged
to deny it.
The writer of this is poor man and the
father of a humber of children. ], like ev-
cry poor man with children, must rely up
on the public school system for educational
benefits. so as to fit them for contact with
the world, and yet they are to be subjected
to the indignity of having placed over them
a social equalatist, to be followed, it is sup
posed, by mixed schools, if he can do it.
For man who will recognize social ECU al
ity in his own family at his own fireside,
and at his own table, would hardly have
any scruples upon the subject of mixed
schools.
AS poor man, l call the attention Of
every ether poor man, who is d father, to
this outrage.