Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-07-10
The Mixture OF Races.
An UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO HOLD A rK

An UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO HOLD A NETTING
WHAT REV r. s. LAWS SAYS About AIsCEGRNA-
TIoS-sONE INTERESTING REMARKS ABoCT THE
COMPARATIVE CHASTITY OF TIE TWO RACES.
An adJour1ed meeting 10 consider the bill intro
duced in Congress prohibiting the intermarrage OF
wife and ColOrtd persons was TO have been held
l2st evening 1T the Virginia avenue church. The
pastor Of the church. Kew. Mr.. Laws, and q STAR
reporter were the first TO put in appearance and
IL was after O'Clock when the former, addressing
the few persons who had come In. said that owing
to The fact that Congress had adjourned and that
tue OIL had idIIsd TO pass he had concluded that
public meeting at this time would be useless He
adt.sd that If the occasion should again arise for
protest against unjust legislation they would be
uuiy notified The audience then slowly rlled out,
ana He Jar reporter continued she conversation
VITA the pastor which The object OF the proposed
meeting had naturally suggested.
Il object" Mr.. Laws had remarked, ''tO any laws
which Will prevent the mixture OF tue races But
th.o bill. By prohibiting marriage simply between
the races, would not be effective unless 1t could be
extended TO cohabltation. The passage OF such a
law would make II Impossible Tor father to do JUS
tce 10 children already BORN and IL Il this large
anu gfo"Ihy cas- That needs protection. The pu-
rty OF he Face has never been greatly threatened
by le.al marriages. II 10 cOhabitation, b. ought
about mainly by the influence OF the strong over
the weak. that has led 10 The adnliX ure OF the
races, SO that now it Is nearly impossible to tell
when pers n has cOlOred blood In his veins. In
stead vi proAoitlng the legal sanction TO such con-
EectonS. IL should ne encouraged, or else stringent
regulations adopted TO compel the entire separa-
ton or the two races"
Hf cu p'OpP nave little regard IOr the
marriage ceremony, suppose suggested the re-
porter.
Il don't mean that" was the reply, "but do
mean 10 say that the adm1xture OF the races COM
panel OF is not due to the lack Of legal pro,ibi-
ton OF marriage. 1t Is common enough TO accuse
the eoorel people OF laxness In their sexual rela-
lions but don't think that il exists with them to
greater extent than with the whites. The girls
are. is a rule. NOR. ignorant than the white girls,
and when they get in difficulty they Stay at home
and give birth 10 children. while the white girls
eitner go away from home or prevent their trouble
In my church, which Is large one have not dis
missed more than three girls for this Cause in the
Matters make ii a rule to ask the girls accused
iii this way who Is the father OF the child, and if
him GU and take The giri back. That is practi-
cally doing what This bill ought TO do, II 1t does
ANY thing
= DO you 1rd your people living together without
marriage" ASKED the reporter.
" % course thcfe are cases amongst us. as there
are III oihes races was the reply: but 1t is not
Ntfy prevalent For instance. there were about
I'VE HHllnFrd persons recently taken into the va
rOGS chuICAes In this section or the city, and of
tails entire number there were very few who were
HFlng together without legal marriage. In all
such cases we See that marriage license is at once
gotten out ana The parties married.
Perhaps there Is greater laXneSS among the
colore people who are not connected With the
Churches. remarked the listener.
- here are very few OF the cclOred people who
are not connected with The chuIcheS,' was the re-
ply Near every one attend church AT least once
day. and the number outside is small as not 70
dHtCt result IHlDk the Statistics
Will snow that the c"iOled people are as caste as
the whites. although ON account OF their ig-
ncrInce and simplicity OF their habits their
lopoeS from the path OF virtue are more
widely known | find, though, that the colored
girls are getting as wise as their White SIS
trrs. and not long $40 young cOored girl, very
respectfully cOnneU ted In the West End, Came
down In this section and remained In SecusiOn Tor
q couple II months and then ret urned TO her home
and friends without creating any suspicion. sup
pose the cOoTe,i people advance In civilizations
continued The munster in sarcastic vein, ''that
they viii become Skilliu In such matters, and their
general reputation Tor virtue viii, i'll consequence,
be greatly enhanced