The Portland daily press., 1896-04-27

To the Editor Of the Press:
As is well known, the civil authorities
in Florida have recently undertaken to
put in force the above named infamous
enactment of that state passed for the
special purpose OF driving out of Florida
the "Normal and Manual Training
School," at Orange Park, located about
fourteen miles above Johnsonville on the
west bank of the st. Johns river-on d
beautiful elevation and accessible by both
rail and water comm unication. This in
stitution was organized by the American
Missionary Associa5ion--a fine set of
buildings erected and put In operation in
1891. 1t is a mixed school of white and
colored, and it is against this feature of
the Institution that the Sheats law is
particularly directed. The school has been
a success, having a large number of
students of both nationalities.
My brother, Rev. T. S. Perry of Lin
eriok, the pastor of the Congregationalist
church at Orange Park, teacher in the
school, writes me from Orange Park un-
der date Of April 81, 1896: 81 was in
dicted and arrested, simply and solely for
teaching Bible lessons from the four
gospels. This fact I desire the people to
understand Six other teachesr in the
school were arrested at the same time
Bail in $3.50 each was required by the
court, and was furnished by W. Fl.
Emery, Esq, shoe dealer of Jackson
vile, and Hon. Joseph H. Durkee ro-
ceiver Of the ]. Il. and Ky. railway
"The officer who arrested us treated us
kindly, as did the court before whom we
were summoned, and neither seemed very
much pleased with their job. We are
bound to appear for trial in October
next.
1.-The constitutionality of the law will
be contested in the courts and this m sde
test case. Unless an injunction to pro-
teot the school while the case is pending
is granted, the only alternative would
seem to be to obey the law or possibIy
suspendsthe school until a, final disposition
of tho case is reached, | have no doubt
that those who have this matter in
charge on the part of the patrons of the
school y i'll see that the legal rights of the
missionary association are carefully guard
ed and protected, and without further an
noyance to the teachers in the schools. "
From these proceedings it Is very evil
dent that the barbarisms Of slavery are
not yet dead. Here is a fms school In
operation, eSta bllSheo by charlta bic
Christian association at the North. which
erected the buildings and pay the
teachers; and at the same time the
people of Florida where the same is To-
Gated and whose inhabitants receive the
larger share of the benefits, enact state
" making it criminal offense impos-
ing fines and imprisonment of its teach
erss simply for teaching whites and
colored pupils in the same building. Our
schools at the North have floating over
them the Stars and Stripes and for
ought, Il we know, the Same may clutter
in the breezes" over the school Mt Orange
Park. 4 Why may not Floriaa'4 disIin
guished educator, Superintendent Sheats;
to carry out still further his measures OF
educational reform get through the
Legislature Of that enlightened state an
other law directing the hauling down
the old flag from Orange Park, with the
rebel YELL" hoist in it's stead the old
Confederate ''Bars'' with three cheers for
Jeff Davis and the defunct Southern
Confederacy. JOHN l. PERRY.