The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-05-16
WHO started This ?


theya repent IT. There Is not city In the
North where the authorities would dare TO
commit such an Outrage upon the white
race AZ was committed upon the white
people Of thn city when CAMERON, FAIR,
and BLAIR put two negroes upon the ken
moud City school Board--two negroes who
NAV have the casting vote In the election on
every teacher, principal OF other official OF
Che public schools. II could not DC done
safely in Massachusetts even; nor In Rhode
Island; nor IN Maine. No northern com
munity would submit TO 1t.
There was no sort Of excuse Tor 'his OUT
RAGE. AR COURTNEY, {. =. RApr, VIII
LIAM VI. WILLIAMS, X. W. POWERS, Dr.
RongRr G.. CABEII- DR.. s. Z. Moore, NJ
l.. STRAus, w. X BOWIE, and Rev. A. w.
WEpDsfI-nine Of our most respected iel-
hw-cisizens-were faithfully performing
the duties OF their Office as trustees, and
the public schools OF Richmond were Hour
ishing, were Of high grade, were efficient,
were doing iEcalculable gooG-we say
these gentlemen were thus fulfilling Their
trust when they were uncsr@noniousiy
oustcd by CAMERON, FARR. and BLAIR, ana
new trustees appointed in their stead, Two
OF whom are negroes.
These two negroes were appointed De-
conse they were negroes There is no.
thing but the thinncst OF preteXts upon
which this can be denied. The fact thai
there are two OF these negroes proves this
TO have been the case. TIE fact that there
are but two proves this TO have been the
case. Indeed, the CoaiitioniSts do not hesi-
tate to Justify the act Of degrading the
School Board OF Richmond by pleading
that as the Constitution of Virginia reeog-
nizes the civil and political equality OF
ali men, CAMERON, FAIR, and BLAIR
were in some sort compelled by their
oath Of Office to put these two negroes upon
the School Board. That is to say, they con-
sidered the matter, and decided to appoint
them because they were negroes. But why
twof Why not seven. or five, If their
"equalty" with the white race was to be
thus certified? There are in this city in
round numbers seven or eight thousand
white votes and five or six thousand negro
votes. Why, then. were there not more
than two negroes appointed? What sort
of equality is that? All, CAMERON, FAIR,
and BLAIR knew well enough that their
oath did not require them to appoint even
one. There was no question OF "civil and
political equality" involved.
In pleading that a constitutional oath
bound them TO appoint negro trustees OF
the public schools, CAMERON, FAIR, and
BLAIR do in effect charge the members OF
the City Council with having disregarded
the same oath for the last twelve years.
Does anybody believe that? No. Have
the authorities OF Boston, New York,
Providence, Philadelphia, Chicago, Cincin-
natl, or any other western city, violated
the fourteenth amendment in declining, or
neglecting, or refusing TO appoint negro
. officials to supervise the white schools Of
those cities? Who viii say so?
But think Of the consequences OF this
teaching Of the Coalitionists. Here is the
oath alluded to.
81, -, do solemnly swear that
recognize and accept the
civil and political equality of all men before
the law" &c, &c.
What does that oath mean? Why, Just
what il says. 1t refers TO the civil and
political equality of all men "before the
idu." That is, that there shall not be one
law for negroes and another for whites,
so far as crimes, and the punishment of
crimes, and other such things, are con-
cerned. For il 1t means that negroes must
be appointed school trustees, then it GER
tainly means much more. 1t means, in
that case, that negroes must be admitted
to the High School. If it means that no
white man can be appointed to any
public place who has not q negro col
league, then the new Board cannot dis
criminate against negro teachers in our
white schools. Do YOU, Governor CAME
RON, say that your oath obliged you TO put
negroes upon the School Board? If so, do
you not see that the same oath will require
the High SCHOOL, If not, why not? If
the oath declaring the civil and political
equality Of all men means any more than
that we are 10 recognize the negroes
rights as citizens, IL must mean that we are
to recognize negroes as equals in the public
schools. Negro trustees logically mean
negro pupils.
Put the question thus: Are the white
men on the CAMERON Board any better
than negroesy We say they are; and il
they are not. they ought not TO be on that
Board. IL, on the one hand, they are no
better than negroes they are not fit to have
charge Of the white schools. IL, on the
other hand, they are better than negroes,
then negroes have no business on that
Board. Take one side or the other, Gov
ernor CAMERON
We call upon HENRY HUDSAIL 10 say
whether he Is willing to occupy in this
community the position in which lac is TO-
day placed? do YOU, Mr.. uuDNALI. hold
that the oath above quoted has any refer
enoe TO the officials Of the public schools ?
DO you feel bound by it not to exclude
negro teachers from the white schools ,
"efre sure that you do not hold any such
doctrines. Consult your friends ard neigh.
bors- Find one Of them, il your can. who
Is wiring for VOC to occupy the position
you yin occupy If you take Office nm
der h1s appointment Let the white
men on this CAMERON Board-RowLANp
HILL, bFFERsoN POWERS, j. II. CuIuBREy.
JOIN w.. FISHER, V. A. FAyIER, J. V. RED
DY, and HENRY HUDSaIL-meet and con-