The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-06-22
EECUuAIIlUN or RACES.
How the Civil Rights Issue Has Worked
in Washington.

WASHINGTON, June D.-Certain ques-
tons as TO civil rights cannot be deter
mined by the intervention oil the lesisia-
tive power This is fully apparent, even
to those who for the sake OF fancied
political advantage undertake 10 court
social preJudices and antipathies under
the iron foot Of the law. The experiment
now In progress in the city OF New YORK
will inevitably result In the same failure
which attended similar efforts here, wnlcn
has been the great experimental hotbed
OF negro equahty. The clvil rights act
OF Congress, which the Supreme Court
of the United States Overtnrew so far
as the States are concerned, but SUI
fered 10 remain applicable 10 the Terri
tories and the District Of Columbia, Is
quite as sweeping In it's provisions ana
as severe in It's penalties as the recent
civil rights act OF the New York Legisla-
ture.
For a while after its enactment men
OF color, with 10 sincere regard Tor the
interests Of their race, amused them
selves BY making tours Of the fashion
able hotels ana restaurants in Wash
ington and demanding accommodation,
lust like their fellow agitatOrs are now
taurant proprietOrs ''grinned and bore IT,"
as the restaurant propretors I'm New
York are trying 10 do. II was noticeable,
however, that popular places OF public
resort, kept By colOred men, Of which
there have always been more or less in
Washington, We're avoided By these seek
ers after their rights
An exception was In the case OF a
fashionable barber shop, at that time the
largest IN the city, kept by a well-known
negro, who mad always been one OF the
loudest OF the agitators. lie plainly re-
fused TO serve men OF his own color or
the plea that their custom would be
an injury TO him No attempt was made
70 bring suit against him, although the
few white proprietors who followed his
example were hauled into court But
most of this kind of thing ran out in a
comparatively short time. which it is
bound 10 do also N New York and in
any other city where IL Is tried. Those
who were engaged In IL discovered, after
the novelty mad worn off. that 1t did not
pay ana there was really nothing in IL Tor
them. The colOred people Of Washington
comprise about One-third OF the pOpu-
lation-a pretty big proportion, II Will be
observed
Yet for years past the presence OF any
one of them as a guest sin any hotel
or restaurant frequented by the whites
is exceedingly rare. Abundant accommo-
daticHs are provided for them by their
own people, and very sensibly. indeed
they prefer TO seek such. IL is almost
as exceptional to see them at the thea
tres, as they also have no lack of amuse-
ments among themselves. Where they
are immense on the equality line Is on
the street cars and around the soda foun-
tains. In these two respects the whites
may very often have to take a back
seat. bat they have become accustomed to
Il and do not seem 10 mind 1t.
In regard TO the relations between the
two races here II is significant that those
from the North entertain feelings much
less kindly and cordial toward the negro
than those from the South. There have
always been members OF Congress from
the Nbrfh and West whose personal
prejudices are so deep that they will not
employ cOlorcd servants In their houses
and in private always speak of them
with disgust and dislike
This is the class. however. which can
always be relied upon 10 howl about the
wrongs OF the negro and 10 vote for civil
rights bills Undoubtedly IL was men
of this kind who put through the bill In
the New York Legislature AS a promi-
nent New York hotel man has remarked
the bill was passed TO catch votes for
the Republican party. but II Will lose
more than IL will gain. II has been fully
demonstrated here and IL will be in New
York that the mass OF the colored peo-
pie % not care for this character OF
legislation They have every possible
right under the Constitution that any
one else has. They are satisfied 10 let
well enough alone. They realize intuitive--
ly the impossibility of forcing social
equality and those among them who re-
spect themselves have no desire for it,
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