Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-03-02
Race PreinClicns.


II is trite saying that the people Of
The North have the same race preJudices
which characterize the people Of the
South. OF course. then. the white Repub-
hcans Of the South have the same race
prejudices which characterize the Demo-
Gratis of the South. IL Is not in Caucasian
human nature to acknowledge or to be-
heve for one moment that "a negro is as
good as a white man" So we are not
surprised 10 learn, "a we do from para
graph in tho last Dauyi.le Times. that when
DIR. Moss, tho newly-appointcd postmaster
at Henderson. n. c., went IN to take
charge Of the Office, taking negro as
slstant with him. all the rest Of the men
left.
The northern Republican papers arc
going to say that the prejudice of the
southern whites against the negroes IS
what caused tho s.ampeie from the Hen
derson post-olllce. But they viii not tell
the whole story when they tell that much
of il. There is not town of the Same size
in Ohio. Indiana. or Pennsylvania where
the whites would Willingly have negro as
sistants placed in their post-otiice. Look
how the people Of several towns in Ohio
protested not long ago against allowing
negro children 10 attend school with the
white children. Whether IN towns, or
cities. or rural districts, tho Cauca-
sian will always protest against mixed
schools If a large proportion Of the
pupils are negroes. One negro pupil.
or two. or three. may attend school
with white children without evokng any
outburst Of indignation. Tho sense Of
fairness in the whites sometimes seals their
lips. though they feel rs if they ought to
protest against any and everything that
looks like a recognition of social equality
between Caucasians andNcgrocs. The few
negro children, though ostracized by the
white children, are allowed TO attend
school with them. Bat let negroes pro-
pose to attend white schools i'll any
locality North or South whore one fourth
or one fifth Of the population are negroes,
and result entirely different from the ono
we have Just mentioned will soon be wit
messed.
There is q good reason at the bottom Of
the race prejudice which induced the
whites employed in the Henderson post
Office 10 surrender their situations rather
than place themselves upon the same
social plane with the negroes. There may
be some public offices which negroes might
be allowed to fill; but they should never
be appointed to any Office IN performing
whose duties they would have 10 be re-
cognized by white persons rs official supe-
riors. Governor CANTON committed an
uuspeakablo outrage upon tho peo-
pie of Virginia when no appointed two
negroes trustees Of the public schools Of
this city. We cannot imagine how such
man could have been guilty Of such an
offence against his own race. These negro
trustees had the right officially TO visit tho
white schools. talk with tho white pupils,
male and female, attend at the theatre or
elsewhere the closing exercises Of the
schools,-in a word, had officially the
right 10 offend the sensibilties of tho
white people. No wonder Governor CANE
yoS's party met with disastrous defeat.
The day will never como when the white
people IF Richmond will be more tolerant
of such an act rs Governor CAMEEoS's than
they were in 1SS3.
Shall we he told that there arc some ne
groes who are in ce~tGin sense more
worthy of respect than some white peo-
pie? What OF it? The children of the
most respectable negro Will be nothing
bu; negroes. whereas tho children of the
lowest white man may become the associate
of the best of people in the next genera
ton, or az OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES might
say, after they have had portraits Of their
ancestors hanging in their houses for seye-
raj generations. A thousand years Of pro-
baton would leave a negro negro.
We conclude that whatever places it may
be allowable to give to the negro. TO Office
ought TO be open 20 him which will make
him the official superior Of single white
person.