The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-10-19
COLOR PREJUDICE.
EFrom the New York Evening Post.


was appointed who had never been
resident, who was unknown TO Il
people of the town. and against who's
character charges were made. But n
, most conspicuous case has been that {
the Office OF Bay ST. Louis, summe
resort Tor Well.to do people of Ne,
orleans, OF which it is really suburi
mere negro was appointed postinaste
whose character Is conceded to be goo
out whose selection is complained q
solely Oh account OF his color. Tb
men OF the families being generally ab
cent IN the city during The daytime
the postal business is done almost ex
:IuslveIy by the women and children
ana the local press claims that il il dis
agreeable for these white women an,
children TO find black man in contro
of the Office.
| When such complaints by the loca
papers reached the north, a number O
republican organs were moved to ex
presslons of the most violent indigna
Ion. IAN insane prejudice" it wa
called by a Massachusetts paper. whilt
the loud mouthed BouteIle declared, il
h's Bangor Wing and Courier, tina
This is simply monstrous." VIII,
whlte people at summer resort j,
Louisiana should object to taking theil
| letters and buying their stamps from
| Dlack postmaster was sometbipu
which these New England people pro
fessed TO believe was past their com
prehension. "Why should "A good
coiored man be offensive as postmas
teri" asked Boutelle, with the air of a
man who knew that nobody living
could answer his question. In TIE
same llhe were the remarks of Assist
| ant POstmaster-General ClarKsou. wbu
is quoted as having talked in this way
10 one party OF protesting southernera
docs not a cOlored servant cook your
meal, another wait on your table, an
Dlher shave your face, and still another
mix yonr toddy for you? You admit
that. Well, then, I'p unable to see
why 1t Is that if you can take your
breakfast from black hands, you cant
also take your letters and newspapers
from the hands of negro postmasiers
AT The office in question, senator, a
colored man will be appointed before
night"
Anything more ridiculous than this
sort OF talk cannot well be imagined.
New Orleans paper had objected to
me appointment OF negro postmasters
IN the sea coast resorts of the south on
the ground that these places "are fire.
quenled by the highest, most refined.
and best educated classes OF northern
and southern people," that such people
wanted white men or women i'm the
post offices, and that "this desired quail
ItlcntInn IS oe
prejudice; northerners and southerners
alike demand it," This is the exact
truth. The most refined and best
educated people in the north do object
10 negro postmasters at summer resorts
or anywhere else for that matter.
Take Boutelle's own state. The people
interested in the prosperity OF Bar
Harbor would be as Indignant at the
suggestion OF appointing black post.
master there as they would be at prop
osltion to enforce the Maine law i'm tba,
famous summer resort, and simply
because they know that the visitors
would be displeased with postmaster
of that color. 1t would be of no use 10 |
argue with these visitors that this was
IAN insane prejudice" that it was
simply monstrous," and that, if tbey |
were willing 10 have black BARRIERS and |
waters, they ought to be willing TO |
nave black postmaster. They would
reply that it was too hot to have long
discussions in summer; all they had
10 say was that they didn't want "A
negro postmaster at Bar Harbor.
There is nothing extraordinary about
his particular manifestation of the
;oior prejudice. There are other ex
llol IONS OF the same feeling, in the
lorth as well as in the south. which
ire even more remarkable. A news
'aper conducted by colored men has
been calling attention to the
act That the dry goods merchants oil
6oston Will not employ black men and
women as clerks, statesmen, and sales
women, no matter how deserving the
applicants, simply because thew are
lack. Another newspaper conducted
" colOred men ineuti0nS an iuciaen,
Vhlch illustrates that C.. lor prejudiceI
sometimes stronger am ng northern
len Than among snnthnrl A CORE
pondent of this journal Tho visited
knoxville, Tenn, uOi long ago. and
osefVed the many gr buildings i'm ,
curse OF erection. wa~ sirusk by the
htlre aDseice OF negro mechanics.
moving that many of the best houses
tne CITY had been built by negro 9
lechahlcS, amt that less than twenty
ears ago. but few white mechanics :
ere employed, he asked a citizen the q
'ason. "He told me that white me- r
lanics had been imported from the
orth and that they refused to work q
18th negroes. The result was that the u
9gro mechanic could not be employ n
l." This is not an exceptional case 4
would be hard to find a white man n
'he horth who would consent to 8,
rye under negro foreman, but such b
siSht Is Dy no means uncommon in N
utbern cities. n
Occasionally somebody like George
=. Gable comes forward with a sad U
le or color prejudice in the south n
rhaps lamentalion that in Atlanta n,
l., the most refined and educated n
gro can only go TO the theater on II
hultlon OF sitting in the gallery. But 81
same thing is true TO this day in the hi
y OF Brooklyn. Even black mem h,
RS OF the grand army of the republic %
that "Clty of Churches" are forbid.
u the privilege of sitting beside their fl
llte comrades in the body of the r
use at an entertainment for the ben. w
Vi thelr organization-and the rea. h,
IS because the managers of the
aters complain that it would hnrI ed
III business to let negroes into any ar
er part OF the building than the Gal. 40
Y. Nor Is this the worst manifesto "
D OF the prejudice. The Youno
S Christian Association of this cltV m,
'eS l's doors to black men, si,npIr In
solely because they are black. Ar no
'ury Park, N. j., colored men are sh
allowed to bathe in the ocean At mr.
same time as whites. The feeIiug 90,
ears to be no less strong in Other IN,
Is OF the country. During Il recent da,
gregational convention in Iowa
oi Grlhnell, town distinguished flo
It's educational Institutions. in de. wi
Dlng the work of the "Sociev ot his
lsiian Eudeavor," told how tha tho
ely had extended its aid TO n coIored ~
VINO was hnely educated, but who, pro
I"n. I"mn '' ilcr Color could find 10 you
ioytheht except that of a life OF ton
'%eFS, Tor which she did not have thel
required physical strength, and one
the effects OF which she died. tent
ME such things are true a, the Pile
H. 1t Is arrant hypocrisy for north G
rs To pratc about the "insane Wa,
ldlce' OF southcrners against the and
%; The truth is that this color ne,
ldlce Is entertained by most white was
lc-by great many who concede time
1t seems unreasonable, aud vet repu
confess that they cannot get over of {
iioW iar 'hiS prejudice Is the re- Nick
conscious or unconscious, of his
~; how far il vi nlI Il i, 40, IL. ! : 4,