The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-03

Il
| now doing 90 in their schools
in churches, as in schools, the separation
| is perfect The negroes in all denominations
! in which their membership is an appreciable
| percentage OF the whole, have their own
churches congregations, pastors, conferences
4 and bishops, their own missionaries. There
is not the slightest antagonism between
them and the white churches Of the same
| denomination, On the contrary, there is
/ sympathetic interest and the Utmost friend
! iireSs. The separation is recognized as not
| only instructive but wise. There is no dis
| position to disturb it, and least of all on the
| part of the negro. The church is with him
the center of social life, and there he wants
to find his own people and no others.
'In their social institutions, as in their
churches and schools. the negroes have
obeyed their instinct and kept apart from
| the whites. They have their own social aud
| benevolent societies, their own military
companies, their own orders of Masons and
Odd Fellows. They rally about these organi-
cations with the greatest enthusiasm and
support them with the greatest liberality. II
1t Were proposed to merge them with white
| organizations of the same character, with
equal rights guaranteed in all, the negroes
would intsrpose the stoutest objection.
Their tastes associations and Inolinations
their instiDcts-lesd them 10 gather
own, ] am tempted into trying TO explain
here what have never yet seen q stranger
TO the South able 70 understand. The feel
ing that. by mutual action, separates whites
end blacks when they are thrown together in
social intercourse is nota repellent influence
in the harsh sense of that word. 1T is centrip-
petal rather than centrifugal. 1t is attract
i've about separate centers rather than expul-
sive from common center. There is no an
tagonism. tor example, between white and
black military companies. On occasions
they parade in the same street and have none
of the feeling that exists between Orangemen
and Catholics or c0urse the good sense of
each race and the mutual recognition OF the
possible dangers OF the situation have much
to do with maintaining the goodwill between
the distinct races. The fact that in his own
church or society the nearo has more freedom
more chance for leadership and for ind;vid-
uai development, than he could have in as
ISOLATION with the whites, has more to do
with it. But beyond all this is the fact
that in the segregation of the
races. blacks as well as whites obey nat
ural instinct which, always granting that
they get equal Justice and equal advantages
they Obsv without the slightest Miniature or
without any sense of disgraoe. They meet
the while people in al the avenues OF bust
ness. They work side by side with the white
brlcklayer or carpenter in perfect accord and
friendliness. When the trowel or the ham,
ing his own way. Any attempt to carry the
comradeship of the day into private life
would be sternly resisted by both parties in
interest"
After reciting in detail tho salts
factory requirements, by the recent
laws, from common carriers, for
equal Accommodations for races and the acces
sion of colored citizens to jury duty, Mr..
Gr Dr. nopol-Iaa Nth 1bfa
$50 much for the relations betw cen the
races in the South, in churches. schools, so.
cial organizations. on the railroads, and in
theaters. Everything Is placed on the bssis
of equal accommodations, but separate. In
The courts the blacks are admitted into the
iury-b0x as they lit themselves into the linn
it OF qualification. Mistakes have been made
and injustice has been worked here and
there. This was to have been expected, and
1t has been less than might have been ex-
pected. But there can be no mistake about
the progress the South is making in the equit.
able adjustment of the relations between the
races. Ten years ago nothing was settled.
There were frequent collisions and constant
apprehensions. The whites were suspicious
and the blacks were restless So simple thing
as q negro taking an hours ride on the cars, or
going to see play, was fraught with posi-
bic danger. The larger affairs-school,
church and court-were held IN allegiance.
Now all this is changed. The era of doubt
and mistrust is succeeded by the era of con-
hdence and goodwill. The races meet in
the exchange of labor in perfect amity and
understanding. Together they carry on the
concerns of the day, knowing little or moth
ing OF the fierce hostility that divides labor
and capital in other sections. When they
turn TO social life they separate. Each race
separate. Each race obeys its instinct and
congregstes about its ow1 centers. At the
theater they sit in opposite sections of the
same gallery. On the trains they ride each
in bis own car. Each worships in his own
church and educates his children In his own
schools. Each has his place and fills it, and
is satisfied Each gets the same accommo-
daIion for the SAME money. There is no col
lision. There is no irritation or suspicion.
Nowhere on earth is there kindiier feeling,
closer sympathy, or less friction between
two classes of society than between the
whites and blacks of the South TO day. This
is due TO the fact that in the adjustment
OF their relations they have been
practical and sensible. They have
wisely recognized what was essen
tial, and have not sought to change what
was Interchangeable. They have yielded
neither to the fanatic nor the demagoguere
fusiDg 10 be mised by the one or misused by
the other. While the world has been clam
OriDg over their differences they have been
quietly taking counsel with each other, in
the field, the shop, the street and ca bin, and
settling things for themselves. That the re-
suit has not sstonished the world IN the
sneedineSs and the facility with which it has
been reached, and the bsne6cence that has
come with 1t. is due to the fact that thu re.
suit has not been freely proclaimed. IL has
been deplorahle condition OF our POLITICS
that the North has been misinformsd as TO
the true condition Of things in the Sonth.
Political greed and passion conjured pesti-
ential mists to becloud what the lifting
smoke OF battle left clear. It has exaggsr.
ated where there was a grain OF fact, aud in
vented where there was none. Il has sought
TO establish the most casual occurrences as
the settled habit OF the section, and has
snrrnc endless iere nliads from one sinpla