St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-07-11
THE JULIA PAYNE CASE.
Explanation of the Position of the
Colored Citizens.
no the Editor OF the Globe.

To the Editor of the Globe.
The editorial appearing in the Mon
day morning GLOBE under head ''Un-
necessarily Excited" inasmuch as it re-
ferS to the adequacy of the law, the i'm
Partially of the officers of the law and
the certainty of impartial justice in the
case of the State VS.. w. III. Meerkle ex-
actly voices the sentiments of the large
gathering of colored citizens referred
to. We rejoice to receive from so prom
inent a source an assurance so closely
corresponding to our hopes and belief.
We heartily commend so much of said
editorial as is expressive of editorial
sentiment as fair, manly and consistent
with the high esteem in which we hold
the state of Minnesota in its relation to
the race question. But we deem it
necessary to correct an erroneous idea
which is expressed concerning the feel
ing which prompted our gathering on
Sabbath afternoon. We have no fear
that the element of color will enter into
the prosecution, and that there will be
an unfair discrimination in ascertaining
the degree of the crime committed. We
do not marvel that surprise should be
expressed that any such apprehension
should exist, for it would be feeling
most nngenerouS and unwarranted on
our part. We therefore believe that we
will be afforded an opportunity to set
ourselves in the right attitude before
the public. The fact of the
state being Republican is not a
prominent element of our hopefulneSs;
but we base our expectations of perfect
fairness on the broader grounds, that
the public sentiment of the state of
Minnesota is fair, manly and impartial;
hot i'm oil YrpviouS caSaS this hoe haar
sustained, and that in this present case
we have received fair dealing from all
the leading papers irrespective of party.
We do not want political issue raised,
and do not ask for any peculiar conSid-
Grafton on political grounds. We look
to the press and public officers to con-
slider this case as they would any other
case, with, perhaps, the added reason of
special sympathy for the victim, arising
from the fact that she is a stranger,
poor, helpless and belonging to race
that has suffered much as to the color
line. We did not raise it, but we are
cognizant of the fact that it does exist,
and have endeavored to intelligently act
with reference to this knowledge. In
Minnesota no political or civil prejudice
exists of which we complain. The color
line exists only i'll social sense. That
it exists so far as social intercourse is
concerned is reasonable and natural,
and, being reciprocal, is not TO be COM
planned of. We would not force an is
sue concerning this, and do not believe
one could intelligently be raised.
But we do realize that the worth, vir-
tue and claims of the individual merit
of colored persons have never been
made so prominent as to receive full
recognition. We attribute this chiefly
to inactivity and lack of self-assertion
on the part of our people.
We noticed an apathy on the part of
the public in reference to this case, and
believed that it would be wise for us TO
demonstrate to all the fact that we have
a Just and adequate appreciation Of the
crime committed; that we recognize its
moral features. Who are so likely to
know the woman, to feel her sufferings,
mental and physical; TO realize the hor-
rid features of the case, as those of the
race with whom she is wholly identified?
We attributed the public apathy to our
own silence, and met Sabbath to do
what we believed to be wise and right.
The fact that our social lives are divided
by the color line, accounts for the fact
that those of the opposite social classes
feel the keeneSt sympathy for those
brought more Immediately under their
notice.
We have no race jealousy; no bitter
feeling toward our white brother. Nor
have we any distruSt of the perfect
fairness of any officers of the law, but
this being the first noted case of its
kind, who should feel deeper interest
in establishing correct precedent than
the class of persons most Immediately
concerned? We rely upon public senti-
ment to sustain us to the extent that we
are in the right. We believe that our
very conservative expressions are spe-
cially commendable.
j. Nj. HENDERSON,
Corresponding Secretary Protective
League.