Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-05-03
The Nepro's Status.

The Negro status
The difference between the negro OF to-
day and the negro Of slavery times Is en-
phasized BY the cutlery raised In the sugar
growing State of Louisiana against the
bringing OF any more negroes into that state
The New Orleans Times. Democrat says:
1.-THE Southwest would do we'll 10 rsise
leyee 10 protect IL from the black flood now
pouring down on it from the South Atlantic
States"
Upon which the Charleston News and
Courier comments IS follows:
"There Is no question. we think, that the
proposed levec-the leyee OF popular sentl'
ment--will be raised very speedily. Tbe
foundation courses are being lald now. COL
ored emigrsnts from the South Atlantic
States will bsve 10 go beyond Mississippi
and Louisiana 10 find resting place, after
this year at least; and we shall be surprised
n tue movement into those States Is not a6-
rnptly checked long before the yesr is out"
This news Will sstonish the negroes who
are erowding out Of North Carolina because
they think that the whites desire them TO re-
main 10 that State. But 1t is no more than
was TO be expected.
II Louisiana aud Arkansas and Texas let
the negroes know that they are not wanted
IN those States, they may take notion TO
try their fortunes 10 the northern or north
western States. But what sort Of treatment
will they meet with in those sections! Let
the Rev. HUTcHINs c. BISHOP. rector OF st.
Psups Protestant Episcopal church COLOR
ed, New York city, answer. In On inter-
view With a reporter for the New York.
Times he said:
"In the larger cities the aspirations OF the
colored reople for a better kind OF existence,
for a higher life, are bedged about By obsta-
Giles imposed by the white people and for
which there Is no excuse that can find short
OF q spirit OF prejudice that Is altogether I'm.
worthy OF them.
"Tbls prejudice IS most sharply defined
and emphaslzed BY the refusal OF decent
habltstions 10 us, even though our people are
willing 10 pay larger rentals than are re-
quired from white tenants.
"The landlords are afraid 10 rent 10
eolored people because OF the objections OF
white people to living in she same building
or in the same Deigbborhood with colored
people"
"And exceDt by indirect means it would
be very difficult for a coIored man TO even
purchase n house 10 respectable residence
locality IN New York"
"Colored men would gladly learn me-
chanical trades, and wherever there have
been openings for them the colored people
have shown themselves the equals OF their
white competitors as mechanics. only seryile
occupations are open TO the c0lored men,
aud even In these the rates OF pay are lower
TO colored people than 10 white men in the
same occupation"
1.-THE forms this prejudice takes in the
North are often more humiliating than the
political sntsgonism the cOlored peopls en-
counter from their masters in the SOUTH"
"When the eolored artisan comes North
and tries 10 find work st bis trade and is met
by \ refusal Of white men TO work along
side OF him be encounters kind Of antipa-
thy and prejudice that are unknown in the
South"
Another colored pastor who expressed sim
liar views to the reporter was the Rev. IL.
A. MONROE, OF ST. Marks Methodist Episco.
pal church. He said:
"Beiore a neighborhood Is opened up for
colored settlement in New York 1t must
have been made untenantAbe for white
people. Take this row that live in-one
az five brick houses on west F0rty-sevenih
street--eyery house had been one Of the dis.
orderly kind. This very house was one OF
The most notorious places OF resort In the
cav, and at last the inmates becsme so dis
orderly that the police raided them seve-
raj times In succession and drove them
out OF the street. The houses were adyer
Used NJ 5000 a year, and were vacant
teveral months, because respectable white
people would not live in them, and the land
lord refused TO rent them 10 cOiorei 0ecu.
pants. At last, finding that he could not
rent them TO white people at ali, the rent
was raised 10 $1,000. and the houses we're
thrown open TO colored people. We we're
compelled To sign leases containing waivers
Of any clatms for damages we might have
by reason Of the uses to which the houses
bad been put by the former occupants. The
snnoysnces 10 which we were subjected for
months after we moved IN 1ere something
terrible, and yet II Is to such houses and
such neighborhoods that we are limited in
OR choice OF homes"
We have often said that the negro Is treat.
ed more kindly in Virginia than in New
York, and would rather live here than there.
A negro VINO can make SIS month ia New
York "in service" rs the phrase is, will re-
main IN Richmond and work for the half Of
it. A negro who can gee forty dollars a
month 10 New York would rather work in
this city for twenty. Whyf
II it could be that the negroes could be in-
dueed to spread themselves Sill over the
Union there would no longer be negro
problem demanding solution. As the
Charleston News and Courier says, il the ne
eroes are gradually shifting to sections
where the race problem can be considered
and settled without being complicated by
the sectional and political issues which have
prevented its right consideration and wise
settlement hitherto, 1t would be the part OF
wisdom for the white people OF every south.
ern State to recognize the significance OF the
movement when promises so much Of bene.
1T tosthem, and to encourage and hasten II
by every means in their power.