The bee., 1883-12-29

church OF the EplScopal1an denomination, is
always welcomed. He is regarded as the most
learned colored man in the District, and is
highly respected by the white clergy of his
denomination. OF course Fred Douglass ranks
as the leading colored man of the District, but
he goes but little into society. He lives ON his
fine estate on the Eastern Branch of the Poto.
mac. Douglass is worth about S20O,OOO While
his wealth and ability make him easily the
foremost man of his race, he is not popular.
He is regarded as guilty of the same sins to-
ward the colored men OF which he accuses the
| whites. namely, refusal to recognize them or
have personal relations with them.
MIR. n. NJ. Holland, who is an officer in the
| Post Office department, is said to be the best
classical scholor in the District and his at
tainments bring him the highest social recog-
milton of his people.
Wormley, of Wormley's hotel, is a leader of
the best set on account of his wealth, reputed
to be $3.50, 900, and his relations with prominent
white men. Smith Wormley, one of his sons,
is large owner Of real estate here, and an
other son has an excellent practice as physi-
| clan.
| Because OF their eXclusiveness, wealth, learn.
| ing and prominence this circle is not looked
upon with any favor by the majority of the
colored people here. The usual remark, which
may, perhaps, be attributed to envy or to dis
appointed ambition, that one hears among
colored people, is that this exclusive set is not
good enough for white society, and too good
for that of their own race. Fortunately, there
are enough of them to make a sufficiently
large circle for the social life they desire.
There is another and much larger society
here that may be designated as of the second
rdnh ,y'STFfo lSEisiiIs Er.aLcapsa
the set just mentioned, they are equally ex-
elusive as regards those whom they hold be-
meath them in the social scale. This class is
composed of government clerks and of people
in comfortable circumstances. There are q
good many colored men in government employ
as clerks. These form the basis of the society
of the second rank. Many of them own COM
Portable little homes, and one of the finest
streets in the city is occupied by them. This
is 10th street, between the Scott statue and the
White House. 1t is splendid avenue broad,
we'll paved, and in the heart of the most fash
ionable part of the city. Nearly all of these
colored residents own their houses, and refuse
10 sell. The property is very valuable, and
must ultimately pass out of their possession.
These people are very fond of social life but
they do not find it in entertaining, but rather
ini sociables, balls, picnics, and especially in
their churches. They are well dressed, seem
to prosper, and are happy. For the great bulk
of the colored populatiOu-the servants, labor
ers, and the poor-they have sympathy. but
no more have social relations with them than
a white family would. These latter in the
main are thriftless, living from hand to
Il
they get job. Their social instincts are graf
flied by the organization and maintenance of
societies of all sorts, benevolent, patriotic.
social and economic. There are nearly one
hundred of these organizations, supported
almost entirely by the laboring colored
people.
We say lies because the
correspondent was better inform
ed when he wrote what he did and
knew he was lying when be wrote
it, because the gentlem who gave
him the data, Mr.. Milton NJ.
Holland, is an honest and truth
ful man and did not we believe
give the writer any such stuff as
that about the community in
which he has been so much re-
spected. lie probably told the
writer the truth and the ,Sm man
distorted to suit his purposes. If
we had time and space we could
take the article one paragraph af-
ter another and prove the falsity
of each, but it Is enough to say
that neither the colored nor
white people of Washington en-
joy any political rights, and as
for annoyance, the democratic
police force is interfering with the
colored people all along the line
from the bar room to the church,
and when once arrested Judge
Smell never fails to "send them
down" guilty or innocent of the
cearges preferred against them.
We most emphaticaily deny that
color line is rigidly drawn for
hundreds of colored people associ-
ate with all classes of white peo-
pie from the highest to the low
est society. And as for discrimi-
nation, there is only one line
drawn and that is between the
respectable and the disrespecta-
BILE. The colored people are too
sensible and too generous to Gre
ate any caste distinctions, the
rich and poor, quadroon, mulatto,
baownskin and black all associ- |
ate together SO long as they are
respectable or disrespectable as |
the case may be. There are but |
two recognized social classes
the respectable and the disrespec-
table. Senator Brnce's family is
no more the leading family in
colored society and fashion than
is John Smiths family if Smiths
family is respectable. Bruce is
worth S2O0,99O but what does