Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1884-01-18
coLoReo SOCIETY.
ca.t-s. Dist,.et,on. ..d arads,.-uov tn,
Negroes At w.shinsssn Draw the Line
Civil Rights and borial Wronks.

So8EOto ~ W0SulUktOn OxUW 800 AI60.-l
Civil Rights and borial Wronks,
Correspondence Of the Press and Dakotaian.
Washington, January Is. lsS4-Some
politicians are nothing if not noisy, bnt
the efforts of such to make either per-
sonal or party capital ont Of the recent
decision Of the supreme court on the
civil rights bill will fail. True sympathy
with the negro does not lie in that direc.
ton. There is no social equality any
where, even among white people Of the
same grade of intellectually or pecunl.
ary position. There are classes, dietinc.
tions, attractions and repulsions. The
oreticslly, under our form Of government,
all are on political equsllty-all equal
before the law. Practically we know
this is not go. The law as it is admins
tered has it's favorites. Tho scales Of
Justice are seldom seen in true horizon
tai poise. Money or brains win against
poverty of mind or purse. Where the
furces are equal the most adrolt or per.
sistent combatant achieves the victory.
He lights for what be gets and is proud
IN his possession of it because he did
fight for it. Tho Auglo-Saxon cherishes
his liberties because he fought for them
and obtained them by the shedding of
blood. The negro has bad liberty thrust
upon him. and wants 1t maintained by
the energies of another race which is not
agreed within itself in all parts of the
country rs to the advisability of this.
The civil rights bill sought to give the
negro superior privileges in some in.
stances, which the supreme court has
said is in conflict with the constitution.
The negro to-day has all the rights under
the law-where the law is justly admin
istered-that the white man has. If his
rights are violated under the law he must
fight for them, as the Anglo Saxon al.
ways does when he can't succeed other.
wise. If he will not fight be is not capa.
BILE of maintaining his liberty. If he
can get the white man to help him, we'll
and good, but he must not hesitate to
shed his own blood. There is no redemp.
tion from the bondage of sin or slavery
without the shedding of blood.
The agitation of this question has led
me to consideration of the condition
of the colored population of Washing
ton. Here we have 60,0OO-or one-third
of the inhabitants of the city-of all
shades Of color, from the jet black caffir
to the fair octoroon. There are as many
castles. distinctions, g,sdes and circles
among this 10000 a. will be found exist
ing with the 100000 whites. Among
them we find Office holders. men of pro.
perty, college professors, public school
teachers, physicians. lawyers, preachers
mechanics, aud common laborers-the
latter forming the great bulk and nearly
all of them of pure African blood. The
mulattoes are in the barber shops, hotels
restaurants and the public Offices. There
are some pure bSoded blacks among
these last named-especially about the
hotels in the capacity of porters-
but the mulattoes continue to get the
places where there is not much physica
exertion required. The mechanics
among them ore of very inferior capacity
as rule-failing to successfully com
pete in skilled labor with white men.
The preachers are nearly all blacks
while the physicians. lawyers. brokers,
professors and office holders are all mu
lattoes. Whatever Of talent there i.
among them is clearly tracesble to white
parentage. Fred Douglas iuherits the
ability of his white father, and he ha.
had Industry and inclination to cult.
vate his natural talent. Wormley, pro
prietor of one of the leading hotels ant
a large property holder, is the son of {
white man. No one. recognizes the fac
clearer than he does that if be we're tt
open his house to negroes, clamorous fo
what they call their rights" hls bust
ness would be ruined. There are man,
white men, as we'll as colored. who can
not get quarters ut Wormley's. H,
claims the right to accept or refuse tn,
ps tronage Of any man Offering it. Ant
when he accepts it he does not conside
himself on social equality with hi
patron. 1t is business transaction
which terminates with the occasion
Neither does ex-senator Bruce, now reg
istrar of the treasury, seek to thrus
himself or his family socially upon hi
his fellow Office holders or thei
families. His official relation
with all are pleasant, bu
the intercourse stops there. But colore,
Office holders are not the only person
tabood by upper ten" official society
Some of the best men intellectually an,
otherwise, with accomplished wives an
daughters. are as rigidly excluded as
they we're of the prescribed race. What
ever is the fashion, or whoever har
pens to be the leader of this or this
''set" fixes the arbitrary rule, and wo
to him or her vito tries to break over.
All this foolishness is initiated by th
colored people. Some uf them have q,
cnmulated property, and these look wit
disdain upon the poor drivers of co,
carts or the shovelers Of dirt at buildin
sites or on the street. These are "set
unto themselves and, while some of thel
as money loaners. will call ou debtc
frequently it ia only as Shylock woul
call. When the debt is paid the cal