St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1893-02-25

cuHtlueilTal II Inc Social tlnO lets II
hall to The blackest ana. most odorifel
Gus negroes in christcndum every nigh
in the week, Sunday included" We do
;tih that Is the reason Why we proteste
against IL club of colorcd amateurs bejn
allowed to use it. The Clarion affect
surprise that objection should be mad
to the use OF the hall by home pcopl
who are much more white than black
when none WAS made to the pei lfo,m
ances Of tie colored Georgia Minstrel
and "Dr. Icons negro troupe, slor
time before. These people were p,oFrs
slpnaIs, playing in IA public playhouse
the home people were amateurs playius
in hall dedicated to the social reunions
of white people. 1t was the same house
it is true; but it must be lemembelct
that that house has dual character-
aud while it is a public playhouse it j:
also the home of Il. leadius social clul
aud the fayOIte amusement resort ot
our best people. Perhaps rue Clarion
will say the distinction is 50 fine it can
not set 1t. However that may be, the
line had to be drawn somewhere : and
just here the DEMuCKAT drew it. We
drew it kindly, but plainly; but we
abused nobody. We told tie Social
Club it had made mistake, and when
the members had reflected calmly over
the matter they realized and promptly
admitted the fact. The Clarion eXpIcss-
ed no opinion Oh the subject, but in It's
following issue 1t compIimenteu the col
/ ored amateurs very highly, 1t thus made
il strong point with them against us.
ltgcd To express itself, it cquivocates,
but tells us that it does not care if the
blacklist negroes in chlistenuom usc the
hall every hight in the week. 1t also
tells lis that II the greater pant OF all adj
Veitlsements from colcEed people ale in
the Courier and DEMOCRAT" Aud it
seems to think that out OF gratitude for
this, and because ii ajjority Of the col
ored suftraSans voted for candidates
supported by the Courier and DEMO
GRAFT at the last election" the DEMOCRAT
might afford to wink at the iusidiuus ad
yanccs towards social equality of people
who arc much more White than black"
Well, the DEMOCRAT is hot built that
way. y c thought Wt saw daugtr ahead
aud We promptly sounded the aIalm-
We conceived 1t TO be our duty to do SO.
We did not stop to Conut the cost, but
We kucW it would cost lis SOME patton
age. We knew that 80 white men ont
uf il hundred would in their lealis en-
uulst our coulSe, II Is tue; but we also
knew that spite aud hate cxelcist il more
potent cUntiol over the actions of men
than friendship OF good will. But SOME
body had 10 i" bell the cat" We did il,
lt,6 "A
quenccs.
Now, We will say to oar iut,ill.cut
coiolcd friends: Strike, it yUu viii, bur
heal We are Il white man with il Sou
them white mans Instincts and llrju-
dicce. l1"d made uS ST. Niutty- nine
White lncn out OF every luudlcu tee
just as Nc do about tiicsc t:iattcIs-.tltcy
can help 1t; only they alc hot al! 50
candid, toollshiy candid, it you please,
a> We are. Some Want your votes, some
want your patronage, and they will fiat
ter You, and perhaps tooiisEly encourage
some OF yonr wild yearDings in The d. /
lectlon OF social equality. But at heart !
they aie stu white men, with the pltiu- /
dlces OF white meD, and When the social I
llues Geg!r TO run into each other they !.
will make Trouble iur you. ior the peace :
anh safety ot the two races these lines t
IL it-L w hept tptit duu lliC Iiltuu or
humanity Will assist ln keeping them .
apart. The experience of a century of !
slavery and thirty years Of freedom has
dem onSt t.atel hat the tSv" RACES uro nm
tTpatiIctic to each Other and live more /
happily apart. Only IL few years ago the
legislatures Of Mississippi and Louisiana
passed laws providing for the complete
sepalallon OF the races Oh ruilroad
trains: other states have done the SAME
thlng. y strong sentiment is being man
ltested throughout the State in favor Ot
the repeal Ut the law permitting the iD-
termarriage OF the races a strenuous
day II enforce the separation OF the
races in the street cars. The tendency
everywhere is to keep the laces as far
apart as possible; ; and this tendency is
tle UutgrOwth of the conviction OF the
best minds that such separation is con-
luclve to the happiness and welfare of
Doth races. BY this means the inevita-
Die friction between two antagOnistic
aces living side by side in the same
will be reduced to IL minimum,
aud peace and good will will abide with
Is instead of bad blood aud race con-
iicts.
The DEMOCRAT is il friend Of human
~. 1t is IA friend of the colo,ed man
It wants 10 see him treated fairly and
The record of its editor is
here to prove this. When, Il few years
lgo, Il saturnalla Ut crime broke out iD
bis parish aud ColoIed men were inur-
lered, dliven f.om their homes and
orced to sleep in the fields for fear of
,eiDg killed iu their cabins, which were
ired into unucr cover Of the darkness
~ midnight marauders. we, as associate
'dltor Of the Courier, denounced these
'utrages and called upon the authorities
o suppress them and bring the guilty |
PARTIES to justice. The other paper here
that there was "no lawless-
lcssn i'll tho parish. We went on ex-
'osiDg and denouucing the shameful
onditon OF things, on shibboleth being
Let no guilty man escape" until !;
ealthy. public sentiment was aroused,
aw and order league was formed-and
ve assisted in organizing it-a powerful
loral support was given to the autholi-
les, aud the law resumed its sway.
Again, early In September last, We de-
Iounced the lynching of two coloreu .
ncn near Mansura aud called upon the
authorities OF Avoyelles to ferret out the
,uilty parties. In the course Of time,
nd after the planters of Avuyelles had
ost much Of their labor, the attrighted
Oloreu people leaving the parish in
roves, other papers took up the cry,
nj now the uutTages aud prosecutions ]
re about ut au end.
Our record is too plain for our present
curse to be miscuns,rued by Intelligent