The American citizen. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1888-1909, 1889-04-05
TlG True Status Of The Negro
IN THE NORTH AND SOUTH HIS
CONDITION THE SAME.
Prejudice on Every Side.
His Political. Social, and. Financial
Status Considered.
Delivered Before the Pleasant Hour
Literary Circle by j. 0. Robin
son, March 20, 1889.
Dir. President, LADIES and Gentle

Dir. President, LADIES and Gentle
men.
In casting about for some theme
with which might hope to interest
you upon this occasion, | thong ut
that it might not be inappropriate TO
consider our condition in the North
as against the same in the South. |
shall therefor, offer few suggestions
and leave you to decide whether it
were better for us that we be here or
there. What few words shall have
to say on this topic shall be devoted TO
considering it from the three follow
ing standpoints, viz: The social, the
political, the financial.
Reared and tutOred as | was in
state which is neither northern nor
extremely southern, [ have spent
something more than year and
three months in the gulf states. and
haye nearly completed one year in
the typical northern state of Kansas.
What, therefore, | may have to say
comes from personal experience and
actual observation, and is not based
upon fine spun theories nor the biased
and distorted reports frequently
found in the newspaper columns.
First, then, as tC the social status
of the race in the two sections of the
country. | venture the assertion,
without fear OF successful cOntradlc-
ton, that it is essentially the same
in the two sections of the country.
But let us make a few comparisons
and see whether there be any fOunda-
ton upon which TO base such state
ment. There the white man thinks
himself better than the colOred man
he does h3re.
If you go to see white man there
J you go to his front door; if to see his
servant, you GO around to the kit CHI
, ell; you do the very same thing here
If there you prove yourself to be {
man of princi pie as we'll as of intelli
gence, thus far you are respected as
man; no more than that Is done here
There white men go to the hotels
colored men to the colered boarding
houses, just as they do i'll bleeding
Kansas. They worship in separate
churches there and they do here. Ii
a word, the whites are prtjudiceC
against the Negroes there and the,
e are here.
OF know that those who may Oppose
E the position which | have taken vii
say that we have here evidences of
far greater removal from prejudic
than there and as all evidence of tha
J, fact thev cite such instancei as tn
It mixed schools here and the fact tina
: colored persons may be entertaine
at the first Class hotels. | will ad
NIT that few such men as Ere
IS Douglas may be entertained at You
hotels without actual question:; but
is equally true in many instances tbs
they are not wanted there.
There was, III this model city, a
II instance of colored state auditC
y who boarded at one of the hotels
o the city, and who paid for this priv
a. lege price far in advance OF wins
white gut SITS were required to pa
= and was subjected 10 innumerab
III snubs as well. Could there be stroni
as er evidence of all existing prtjndi'
is against hims
n Twill graut that you Lave mo-
. mixed schools here than YOU have
= the South. and il is to these that Il
al friends OF co-education Of the rae
70 look for the graduation of prejudic
Il You have had them here for year
- and when the children ave grow
up and are out of the schools, there
no greater familiarity be "een the
te than betw cen the child OF ne viii
be planter and the young Ne4ro born
&c the planta:ion-ls there. &C. Iced
=, much? a very promln,nr lite pt
, ilician in this city reHlA' Al TO
that. in his judgment, t9c q 'ial =
Fl tus of the two races IN sht~ iuntrl
er. essentially The ssme; pr II e ri
act a high in one place IL a. dp@- IN
other. albeit il does nof maulfest
sslf in the same way. A. tie TN
for Ter OF schools in particuls~. Sc cot
of not see why il Is that many OF
people are forever hsuk sing ST