The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-24
SFATTLE. TUESDAY,. MAY 81.
THE COLOR LINE.

Mr.. John Lawrence Sullivan draws the
color line in the prize ring; or as he e1-
presses it, "No gentleman fighter can af-
ford to meet Niger" In other words,
Sullivan thinks "a fighter" can be wife
heater and drunkard, who, in his cups.
violently cuffs newsboys and waiter Girls,
clubs an exhausted horse so brutally that
the police interfere, and yet remain "gen-
tleman" so long as he does not put on
hard gloves with "a niger"
And yet Sullivan can hardly be blamed
for this absurd view, for he is coarse,
ignorant man and doesnt know any better.
The color line is drawn, however, very
sharply by persons who ought to know
better Last fall Dean Francis Wayland,
of the Yale law school, announced that
he would give $50 prize to that member
of the Kent club who should make
the most points in debate on
subject which he would select. Re-
Gently the club appointed COM
mite to select eight men to contest for the
prize. Among the men chosen were ]. p.
Spurgeon and l.. r. Wiley. Spurgeon is
u
Va. and is considered bright. Wiley is
one of the hardest workers in his class and
is a very high-stand man. His home is in
Mexico, Mo. Wiley has withdrawn from
the contest and his withdrawal. is due to
the fact that he would have to meet
colored man in the contest.
Recently two reports were presented to
ar1 IF adj in, in,
reference to the disposal of the colored
pupils in the Schenectady avenue school.
One from the majority favored the estab-
lishmant of two distinct wings, one to be
occupied by the white and the other by
the colored children. The other report
was presented by Lawyer T. McCants
Stewart. and recommended the establish
ment of mixed school with the color line
obliterated. After considerable discussion
it was decided to organize new school, to
be known as So, for the use Of colored
children alone.
The aristocracy of skin dies hard even at
the north. 1t is hardly more than five years
ago that the Ohio legislature passed bill
repeating the black laws and the statute
providing for separate schools for colored
children. Toat Ohio, the fourth state in
the Union in population, and second to
none I'm popular intelligence, should have
kept the black laws on her statute book so
long after the death of slavery is proof of
the remarkable tenacity of life which char
acterzes popular prejudice of race and
color even at the North. Massachusetts,,
the cradle of Garrisonian abolitionists.
was so full Of color-phobia that nearly
every church had its negro pew, which. of
course, compelled the erection of negro
churches. Towns had their negro suburbs,
and in the public schools black boys were
seated by themselves, and white offenders
were obliged to sit with them. Lyceums,
established to promote popular knowl-
edge, debated whether black people should
be allowed to purchase tickets for the lee
ture course, and generally decided it in
the negative.
In Massachusetts sixty years ago the
only towns where decent colored man had
any peace were where the Quakcrs were
possessed of influence in the community.
In Connecticut, Prudence Crandall, a re-
fined young white woman, was mobbed
by the respectable" and influential"
members of both parties because she
taught colored children to read AS late
rs 1904 anti-slavery meetings were
mobbed frequently by the "best people"
of both parties in the largest towns in
Vermont. Rev. Samuel J. May was
rudely interrupted by the leaders of the
Wing party while speaking from the pull
pit of the Unitarian church in Burlins-
ton, VT.
The lapse of more than half century
and the emancipation of the negro has
NOT extinguished this aristocracy of skin
at the North. Rev. DR.. Phillips Brooks.
new bishop OF Massachusetts,, within five
years in vain urged the Episcopal general
convention to adopt the following resolu.
tions:
l. Tha. this church recognizes no distinction
between her ministry having relation TO their
race color.
y That all legislation involving such dis
tinction is contrary TO the spirit of the Church
OF Christ
In support of this resolution, Bishop
Brooks said:
The principle that there 4. no distinction
Whatsoever Of race or color IN she church shou ii
be put beyond doubt Let the church he true
enough and brave enough 70 10 her duty in this
respect. Her truest policy Is 20 give the colored
clergy the proper recognition they demand l.
for one. IL / vera co.orei naa, would never
enter the Episcopal ministry unless the church
pledged itself distinctly that nv pyiestly uvivi.
leSes SHOULD never b. curtailed. let Us osss
these resolutions whose truth no one can dis
pute 10 crave Tor the church 81 our love that
she he the leader II pcociaiming the brother
hood Of man ard the prophet oi future when
No line Will Re drawn by the color oi mon :
skins
These resolutions were rejected by the
convention OF q great Christian church.
The Church of Rome, we believe, draws
no color line: il sympathises with the
thought which made the great painter
AIRY Scheiier, in his famous picture.
"christ, the Consider" include the figure
Of q negro slave among the surpliants
tina; are kneelins at Jesus feet.
No wonder the brates ut the bottom OF
society. ike Sullivan. draw the color line
in the prize ring, when intelligent Ameri-
cans At the ,opot our civilization continue
10 draw i. in the school, the church, tie