The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-06

leave them, they were elected from the building,
and the young man brought suit for damages
but before the case could be brought to trial the
decision of the Supreme Court ON the civil
rights bill occurred and practically ended IL.
Curiously enough, the news of this decision
reached Atlanta on the very evening of the sue
ceeding dramatic season when the same Haver
lys troupe was playing In the same 0pera-house.
The dispatch announcing the decision was read
from the stage in the midst of the performance
A tremendous shout of applause. accompanied
by derisive laughter, burst forth from the white
portion of the audience who had been sscentrip-
etally attracted" to the parquette, dress circle,
and left side of the gallery, and was listened to
with dumb amazement by the coored portion,
occupying the right side of the gallery, and. &C
cording to Mr.. Grady, entirely unconscious of
put them there
1t was soon after this event that the restric-
ton OF the colored people to the back stairs was
made Previously they could reach their gallery
seats by the front staiss. Two friends wore dis
cussing how the restriction would be received.
and one said, "Oh, they will continue t. 60,
even if they have TO crawl through sewer to
get there This was told me by ar intelligent
young colored Crispn of my acquaintance, who
does nearly as much solid thinking venture to
say, between the stitches he takes on his shoes
IN his basement shop as Mr.. Grady does in the
top story of the Constitution building at the
other end of the same block; and this can be
said with no disrespeet to Mr.. Grady "Ive
told them it wasn't like the matter of rail-
read travel. They'd got to GO in the
cars, and must take what they could get there;
but the matter of amusement they could get
along without, and they ought to have too much
self-respect to go up that back way. When
Thomas keene was playing Richard Ill here
this winter continued he, Il said to some of
the university graduates, who were talking of
going If you go there and see King Richard
strut around and clash swords, and show you
how fine chivalry is and all that, how will you
feel when you think about your wading through
the bar-room slops of that back alley and crawl
ing up those back stairs to see it ALL" L asked
him if he had read Mr.. Grady's article oh
yes" said he, nodding ever his shoulder, 81
have it here, and have read it, and it will take
something more than that TO answer Mr. Cable
Only few days ago Governor st. John, of
Kansas, was here to fill an appointment with
temperance lecturer in this same De Gives
Opera house. The debate of the colored people
about the back stairs, to which | referred, had
occurred in debating society at their Presby
terrain church. The matter had been discussed,
also, with more or less publicity at several other
churches. As a result of this, and to escape the
indignity at the opera house. meeting to hear
St John was arranged to be held at the large
Friendship Baptist Church, on the afternoon of
the same day After St John had spoken to the
full and very respectable audience gathered
there. the colored pastor of the church came for
ward and said: Now you have heard Governor
St John here, you will not need to go up back
stairs to hear him tonight"
There is a class of cases that Mr.. Grady's ar
ticle with all it's show of fairness, does not take
account of. Let me illustrate Two successive
winters there have been held in this city art
loan exhibitions at the rooms of the Young Mems
Library. Among the articles contributed by the
citizens were several valuable paintings and
other things of interest from the home Of
teacher In one of the educational institutions of
the city. In the same institution was a music
teacher oe partially African blood. true lady of
refinement and culture, and a graduate of the
Obern Conservatory of Music. In company
with several of her white fellow teachers, she
undertook to visit the exhibition, but was in
formed at the entrance that she could not be ad-
mitted, whereupon all withdrew. Mr.. Grady
says the South desires to silence no criticism,
eyade no issue, and lessen no responsibility" 1t
would be interesting to know his solution of the
above issue Would he say that intelligent col
ored people, like the music teacher named, must
forego art loan exhibitions until the members of
their own race advanced far enough to get up
separate ones of their owne
There have recently been delivered in one of
the halls here two lectures on Schubert and
Schumann by Mr.. Max Piutti, an accomplished
pianist and thorough student of music. The
lectures were interspersed with illustrations,
both instrumental and vocal, of the works of the
composers They exceedingly entertain
ing and instructive Nothing like them has ever
been heard in Atlanta before. The music teach
er to whom referred would have enjoyed and
appreciated them better, probably, than three
fourths Of those who heard them, but she did not
60. Would Mr. Grady say that there was no
hardship in the reason that kept her away4 No
responsibility resting upon any one to make it
possible for her to attends No injustice in case
she were admitted, in compelling her TO take
some back or corner seat. as much out of sight
and out of the way as the nature of the hall
would render possible9
A ,x,.H L. lo.Y L.