The Colored citizen., 1894-11-05

in with the same idea that the south
erners had in South Carolina, Georgia
and other southern. states, With sepa-
rate school systems. A negro child
could not go to white school in Hell
ena only within few years. They
had an old log cabin for negro chill
dren that was rot fit for an animal to
be.educ ated in.
Second-It is only due TO John Ma
guire, the manager of the opera
house, that the negros of Helena are
allowed to buy.tickets in any part OF
the opera house. They used to.be re-
stricted to a certain part OF the
house. Ii mattered not how much
money they had or how cultured,
they were. all put in one corner same
as the Jim.Crow car law is to-day in
Tennessee and Texas and when any
town makes such an infamous require
ment as that, we want to see that she
is defeated. And we can say without
any reservation that there is not any
frst.class hotel in Helena that will
allow negro to eat or sleep. 1t will
ask him just as he puts his head in
the door what he wants.
Rev. James Hubbard of the Kansas
conference, who organized the st.
James A. NJ. Z. church in Helena,
said that when he went there It was
impossible for him to get place to
stop at. We know public places have
certain public rights for the good OF
the general public; the right of dis
elimination between the clean and
the unc lean, the bad and the good.
There are whites who require soap
and water Just the same as the negro.
Common sense teaches us that the
happiness of one race should not be
infringed on because of the prejudice
of the other. How can men fight for
a country whose flag means not free
dom for them? We want land OF
the free and the home of the brave.
The Capital restaurant of Helena re
fused to serve on Sunday night, Sept.
%, colored gentleman of culture
and prominence, w. w. Easton. Jas.
Crump, one of the Oldest citizens of
Helena, was refused and is refused
to-day drink in any of the tirst-clalss
saloons. There was time that
negro had TO get of the sidewalk
when he saw white lady coming.
Really a negro is expected to walk in
the middle of the street. The Helena
whites are milk and water aristOc-
racy that hate negro. The negroes
of this state are not asking to be rec
ognized in society. They don't want
to visit white families and so on, but
what they want is a fair show the
same as the white man. We want to
be treated as American citizens.
Give us the privilege to go anywhere
as long as we are law-abiding and
able to pay our way from business
standpoint. I do really think, Mr..
Editor, that the negroes would be
fools if they voted for place where
prejudice is so old as it is in Helena;
and | say let the whites of Helena
conquer their prejudices. Let them
cultivate kindness and humanity. /
say put away your race prejudice and
your town will stand and flourish for
ever. Last, but not least; the annual
conference of the A. M. T.. church,
which recently convened in that city,
and which is by far the strongest
negro organization in America, was
not invited to fill the various pulpits
Of the white churches of that doomed
place, save in two instances, and
these we're little mission churches.
This, Mr.. Editor, is step farther
than the southern democracy of
Georgia goes. All over the south
land our cultured men, on occasions
of this kind, fill acceptably the pull
pits of cultured white congregations
This, thrust into our face right in the
midst of the fight. is gall beyond de.
scription.
Colored men of Montana, vote for
the capital to go to place where
you will be treated as American citi-
zens and in defense of ideas for which
YOU have split your blood on many
battle fields.
REV. CHARLES CUSHINGBERRY.