Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-01-12
OHIO and the Negro.

OulO anu inc NtSAO'
The Atlanta Constitution recently sent
one Of its ''stsh correspondents" mr..
CooPEn1 TO Ohio TO report the facts in the
case Of The troubles between the whites and
the blacks which were reported from that
Stale IN December. Mr.. COOPER dates his
first letter "Fellcity, Ohio, January ID"
lie sass that all classes OF white people IN
that town unite IN declaring that their chill
dren shall not be taught 10 schools side by
side with colored children. The feeling is
so strong that even the more intelligent and
conservative whites are determined TO carry
their point, although the law OF Ohio allows
the two races TO be educated in the SAM
schools.
Nobody need De surprised at these state.
ments. Indeed we may say that nobody
will be surprised at them. Race prejudice,
Il prejudice it may be called. is a character
istic OF all mon-Caucasians, Mongols,
Indisns. Negroes, and Malays. The white
man feels his superiority TO the men OF all
other races, and Is not willing 10 be instru-
mental in erasing the line OF distinction
that marks his children as superior
70 the children OF any other race.
The facts reported by Mr.. COOPER
show only that the ohio people en-.
cagcd Ia this contest with the negroes have
had occasion 10 remember their duty to their
children. and have acted in conformity TO
their natural impulses or instincts. And
what these Ohio people have done Is Just
what the white people OF any other State in
the Union would do under the same circum-
stances. We suppose that there is less Of
race prejudice i'm the southern States than In
the northern. Indeed. we are not conscious
OF any feeling that deserves 10 be called
''~prejudice." We like the negro in his
place.
Mr.. COOPER inquired what the whites
would do II the aegroes gained their case IN
court. We quote:
1--WE will probably do what we have been
accused OF doing already-that Is, we will
apply the boycott"
How irresistible a weapon this would be
may he imagined when il is known that out
Of 500 voters I'm the Franklin township about
Felicity only seyenty.1ye are negroes. and
WIN NV 80 " WV - ~ NNLNNA W.
poses is $500 a year, that Of the negroes Is
only $40.
"Haye not the more offensive negroes
already felt this 20 some extent?" ! asked
the Mayor. "Oh. yes" said he. "they nave
been eliminated from every connection and
are simply eating up what they have already
accumulated"
In a community Of 1000 people there are
some who express this common feeling In &
violent way. The most extreme expression
l heard was by q bricklayer who appeared to
be an industrious man, of fair Intelligence.
81 fought on The Union side" said he, but
! almost wish the scale had been turned the
other way. II It we're TO do over again / be-
lieve l would join the other army
one Middleton, a shrewd negro politician
and an eX-cOnyict, seems 10 have been the
evil genus OF Felicity, and TO have stirred
up some OF the negroes TO the importance OF
entering their children at the white school
when it opened Ia september, 1887.
This last paragraph shows that IN Ohio as
IN Virginia the negroes have no pride or self
respect which prevents them from associating
with ex.eonyicis. We quote again;
"Four regro children presented them
selves at the school for several mornings in
succession and were refused admission. A
large black negro named Arthur Jackson
brought bis children to the school aud find-
ing several white men standing in The door
lttcmpted TO push them away. The men
turned upon Jackson and handled him rough
~ vita their fists. and that ended the effort
30 put the children IN by force"
These negroes some years ago asked for
graded schools, and got two. But the two
averaged together only sixteen pupils, and
the tuition OF each cost S42.
one thing that eomplieates the mstter Is
that II colored children are permitted to
attend the white schools the negro teachers
will all lose their places. No white man is
going to allow his children TO be taught by
The veTiest fanatic feels that he
must draw the line somewhere. A school
board Ia Ohio mot h Felicity, consisting OF
eleven Republicans and four Democrats. has
refused the application Of u highly educated
oelaroon girl for 3 position which II is gen.
orsliy acknowledged she is competent to dll.
When The negroes tried 10 force their chill
dren into the white schools st Felicity they
went into the different rooms aud took their
positions. Some OF the mothers OF the white
children went upstairs aud told them to
come out. as they would not allow them TO
10 20 school With negroes, The white chill
dren were Screaming and crying, scared
almost to death. There was no force used.
The white men and white women stood in
the main doors and told the negroes to 20 TO
their own school. that the white school was
full sud they did not belong there. We
quote againi
"The feeling against mixed schools Is even
stronger among the women OF Felicity than
among The men,"
"Ibe school board Of Felicity is composed
of three Democrats and three Republicans,
ADD on the question Of separate schools the
white people, Democrats and Republicans,
are upited.p
All OF which goes TO show thst the Buck
eye State aud the Old Dominion. or hassa-
and Texas, could shake hsnds on
he question Of mixed schools whenever isis
question ssumes the practical form IN which
/ presented itself 70 the whites OF Felicity,
ohio. whsieyer the Ohio courts may de-
tide 10 BE- the law the fnsi rssnb via 10 thas