The American citizen. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1888-1909, 1889-02-08
HON. ALFRED FAIRFAX,


and colored children. Mr.. Fairfax
said:
Mr.. Speaker: I hope the amend
ment may be adopted. The gentle
man from Shawnee says the amend
ment will not avail anything. He
says the bill itself will accomplish
the same object without the amend
ment. In this l beg leave to differ
and to-day there is law en- the stat
ute book which does discriminate
against colored people. And to pro
vide against such discrimination |
ask that this amendment be adopted.
Mr.. Speaker, the colored man asks
no special legislation, but, sir, he
does ask that no distinction be made
on account of his color. l have Of
ten asked myself why is this preju-
dice against the Negro, and found
this answer: For two hundred years
the white man, knowing that slavery
was wrong, sought by every means,
through the press, the pulpit and
school house, to inculcate the impreS
sien that the Negro was not man;
this was done as one of the means to
justify their cruel system Of slavery,
and still the pangs of conscience.
The white man of the north to a
great extent believed this theory and
accordingly the prejudice against the
poor Negro penetrated the body Of
this nation, and slavery continued to
flourish and dominate until it involv-
ed this country in the bloodiest war
the nation eyer knew. When that
grand, cid party to which l belong
made the Negro a soldier he demon
strated to the nation that he was a
man; since the war in all the various
callings that the Negro has been per-
| mitted to fill, he has further shown
the wisdom of the grand old Repub-
lican party.
The gentleman from Shawnee said
he learned the fact that the Negro
was man over forty years ago. |
am glad to know there was one man
who was bold enough to know it and
to express it, but there are yet many
who ostracize the Negro and bar the
way to his prosperity. The work
shop, the arts and trades are shut in
the face of the poor colored boy, while
those who do it are the ones to find
fault against the Negro.
Is it fair to the men who fought tt
preserve this great union, to save tc
you your beloved country, that their
children be pushed aside, to a destruc
tive school!
! It is said this bill is drafted on the
broad ground of American citizen
ship. Mr.. Speaker, l am proud t.
be an American citizen, and, sir,
am grateful to the grand old part1
that made me an American citizen
but, sir, am panied when | see ma
tive born American children, wiz
love as I do their native country
forced to leave the district in whlcI
they live, in which their parents re
side, pay taxes, and vote, and trave
across town, passing two or thre
school houses, on their way to atten
a school set apart as eolored school
while foreigners may come to TIL
!, country, knowing nothing of its ii
: situations, and hating its governmen
and laws, as is evidenced in ChicaGc
ye. they are permitted to attend an
/. school they may wish. Is this rigt
or Just to the dark skinned America
citizen?
: The great state of Kansas cannc
afford to allow this distinction to col
tinue. 1t cannot afford to legalii
any discrimination in her schools th'
will perpetuAte theprejudice of whic
am speaking, and for this reason
hone the amendment will be adopte
. and the school boards of cities Of th