Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1885-04-04
Saturday, April A., 1885.
VERY ssCENTRIPETAL.,

In the last number of the Century Editor
Grady, Of the Atlanta Georgia. Constitution,
tried to show how the race problem in the
South must be worked out, and he painted a
rosy picture of the relations between the
blacks and the whites. ''The feeling that by
mutual action" said Mr.. Grady, L" separates
whites and blacks when they are thrown to-
gether in social intercourse is not repellent
influence in the harsh sense of that word.
1t is centripetal rather than centrifugal. 1t
is attractive about separate centers rather
than expulsive from a common CENTER" ETC.,
etc.
This is ingenious and pleasing, and also
important if true. But letter from cor
respondent of the Boston Advertiser, who
writes from Editor G1ady's own city, goes to
show that "the feeling that by mutual ac
tion'' separates whites and blscks in Atlanta
is not very kindly or "centripetal" one.
For instance, at the theater there colored
men and women are not allowed to buy seats
for the parquette, dress circle or boxes. They
are allowed to sit on one side of the gallery.
Beyond that they must not aspire. Nor
must they enter the gallery by the sane door
which admits the whites. They have to
enter by back door, approached through
back alley, and opening on the back stairs.
Not long ago young negro ventured to take
seats on the ''white side'' of the gallery. He
was elected as we'll as the two colored women
who accompanied him.
A few days ago Governor St. John of
Kansas was invited to deliver lecture on
temperance at the theater- He spoke in the
afternoon. Another meeting in Baptist
church was arranged for the evening, 30 that
more colored people could hear him than could
crowd into the ''nigger side" of the theater
gallery. After he had concluded his address,
the co1ored pastor of the church came
forward and said to the audience of his own
race: ''Now you have heard Governor ST.
John here, you will not need to go up the
back stairs to hear him tonight" An art
loan exhibition has been held at the rooms
of the Young Mems library. A teacher in
prominent educational institution contribu-
ted several valuable paintings In the same
institution was music TEACHER, described as
ga true lady of refinement and culture,
graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Mu-
sic" but ''of partially African blood" She
wanted to visit the exhibition. At the door
she was informed that she could not be ad-
mitted. Still more recently course of lee
lures Schubert and Schumann were de-
ivered in one of the public halls of Atlanta
by a well known and competent musical
scholar. This same lady, teacher of music
and passionately devoted to it, could not go,
though she would have more enjoyed and
better appreciated the lecture than a large
majority of the mere amusement hunters OF
white skin who crowded the hall
Nothing very ''centripetal' about this.
The correspondent who relates these Incl
dents pertinently asks: "Would Mr.. Grady
say that there was no hardship in the reason
that kept her away2 No responsibility rest
ing upon anyone 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 possible?' Editor Grady's
Solution of the race problem is evidently
not yet the correct one.