The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-06-21
THE NEW CIVIL RIGHTS LAW OF
NEW YORK.

THE NEW CIVIL RIGHTS LAW Or
NEW YORK.
The first section Of the new Civil Rights
Jaw passed by the New YORK Legisla-
ture at its last session and approved OF
by Governor Morton, reads thus;
"Au persons within the Jurisdiction OF
this State shall be entitled to the full
and equal accommodations, ADVANTAGES
facilities. and privileges oil INNS .houses
BARRIERS shops, theatres, music mans,
public convcyances on land and water,
and all other places Of pubic acccmmo-
| dalton and amusement, subject only 10
| the conditions and limitations established
| 10y law and applicable alike 10 all ciu-
fzons.
The penalty clause provides that any
| person who shall violate the provisions OF
| this section by denying TO any citizen,
except for reasons applicable alike to
| all citizens Of every race. creed, or
| color the full enjoyment of any OF the
accommodations, advantages, facilities, or
privileges in said section enumerated,
| shall be guilty OF a misdemeanor, punish
| able by fine not exceeding 500 ana ny
| imprisonment not exceeding ninety days
| A negro named Charles w. Anderson IS
| boasting that he drew this law, and
| engineered 10 through Nhe New YORK
| LEGISLATURE. and, like Mark NEEDLE. seek
| ing some one to kick him. He has been
entering all the frst-class restaurants
| and hotels in New York. and demanding
| accommodations in the hope that he may
| be treated with contumcly. 50 as to be
| able TO assert a grievance in the courts.
We would have supposed that an IN
| tclligent and proper, negro would have
| too much self-respect and sense to con-
| meet himself with an attempt TO force
| the society Of negroes upon unwilling
whites by a measure Of this sort, having
the force of law. The negro who backs
such an undertaking is simply counting
| contempt, If not rough treatment for his
| fellows while the white man who assists
| in an endeavor to thus annoy members
Of his own race is false not only TO the
| instincts of that race. but 10 those run
damental principles upon which the peace
| OF society must rest.
Race feeling Is condition of mind that
scars far above all human laws Human
| laws cannot eradicate them, nor can
| they control them and force them into
submission to a state of things that is
! a continual negation of them. Just what
the hotel keepers and restaurant Keep
| crs of New York city will do TO nulliiy
this law we do not pretend TO know.
| But that IL will be defeated in its prac-
! teal operation we have not the slightest
doubt. no more than we have that IL VIII
recoil in it's effects upon the negros them
selves and make their condition more I'M
satisfactory to them than it is. As an
Illustration of the way the law is regard
| You
take from the New York Tribune the fol-
lowing account Of an incident in MI
Anderson's excursion round the city, In
quest of kicks
AT the Lafayette Place Baths the party
| encountered an opposition which was not
down on the bills. DR. Ryan, the pro-
| prictor is reported as having told MI;
| Anderson and his party: MY frlehds,
am soldier and the friend of your race.
| You can battle here If you WlSh-lt Is your
right-but if you do 50 my business VIII De
| irreparably injured. DO as you Wish;
am at your mercy.
| You are a shrewd man.. Mr.. Anderson
| is reported as having said, and as gen
| tlemen we are simply compelled 10 accede
| TO your unspoken request You recognize
| our right TO battle and we waive IL solely
as a result Of your courtesy
1t is hard to imagine tyranny that Is
more oppressive than this. Here is a man
/ doing an innocent, and perhaps prosper
! ous business. who is arbitrarily compelled
by the wis major" to conduct 1t in a
manner that will obviously destroy it.
This is not government. but oppression OF
the most outrageous character.
In commenting upon this law the New
| York Times says:
But the question raised anew by this
| law Is Of minor importance. The serious
..l.r lA coll 20 IL
/ New York. and we think in most other
| cities of the North. IL is not only not
| improving. buc is visibly going the other
| way. IL is "a matter OF common opserNa-
| ton that the negroes OF New YORK city are
/ growing lazier and more untrustworthy
from year 10 year. Some OF them, per-
haps not an undue proportion, are uls-
| tinctly vicious. but the whole race, here
anu hereabout IS not making hopeiui
| use of it's opportunities.
While this speaks badly for the negro
in the North. we do not believe 1t is
| true Of him here. Richmond has many
prosperous colored citizens. and although
| the millions of millions which the South
has spent in the education of the negro
has not produced the results which might
have been expected yet the race, as
whole. have here at least, made distinct
| progress for the better
As to the relation between the races
we do not believe that the same genuine
cordiality exists anywhere on earth be-
tween the white and black races that
prevails generally in the South Here
each race knows its place, and knowing
this. there is a complete understanding
and the kindlier feelings are rarely dis
turbed by conduct which causes senti-
ments at once spontaneous and resentful.
But in any aspect the presence OF the
negro in this Anglo-Saxon country pre-
sents a most difficult problem. one thing
how ever. is certain. with even-handed
political rights secured to him. the posi-
ton of the negro in everything touching
his social position must be determined by
the processes of individual choice, and
not by the iron hand of law. Evolution
not legislation. is the rule.
The negro must find his place accord
ing TO nature and not by force.
----
ONE MANS POWER FOR EVIL.