The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-08-05
THE NEGROES.
Bishop Turner States His Views in
Regard to Their Present Condi-
ton in the United States.

NseBdTu W An6lT IT6b6nb OOuul-
ton in the United States.
To The Editor ofthe Transcript (Boston)
Having just reached home from
an extensive tour in the discharge
of official duties, find in your issue
Of June IA, under the caption of "a
Groundless Panic" that am severe
ly criticized for saving, "There is no
more future for the negro in this
country than for frog in q snake
den." do not know by what means
you picked up those words, but the
language is very similar to my ex-
pressions, and l accept them as the
utterances of my mouth and pen 30
that If l never did utter them 1 do
now proclaim it. 1t may be piteous
wall Of despair, as you term it, and
l may be pessimist, but if it we're
not for some eight hundred letters
lying before me demanding my in
spection and reply l would show
you--if the presentation Of facts is
worth anything-that there is time
for despair in the face OF the condi-
ton Of things now existing, so far
as the negro is concerned. Have
you read the decision OF the United
States Supreme Court If you have
not l with this mail send you copy
and hope you will patiently and
carefully read every page of the
pamphlet forward you, and then
show me if you can, in the face of
decision that stamps the negro with
perpetual degradation from the
chief tribunal of the land, what the
negro has to hope for in this coun-
try. Such decision as your Su-
preme Court has given (not my Su-
preme Court for am negro) has
never been heard of in the history
of the world for | have been stu
dent of history for forty-four years,
yes, practicallyforty-six, and am
somewhat familiar with the history
OF all nations, and 1 venture from
nay general knowledge of human
events to prefer you thousand
dollars the moment you show me
an item of history analogous
to this decision. Such a decision
would surprise the inhabitants of
Hades should his satanic majesty
become 30 biased, discriminative and
at variance with such propriety and
impartiality as may exist in the
regions OF perdltion. If the high
verdict was a dead letter it would
be another thing, but this unfortun-
ately cannot be said. Every provi-
sion, permission and implied se-
quence is woven into legislation, ju-
dieial decisions, municipal restric-
ton and local customs till the negro
is the victim Of variety of degrade
tions as numerous as are the States
and localities of the nation. And if
you do not believe it l will give you
fifty dollars day to blacken your
face and take trip with me.
know this country as we'll as any
man that breathes the breath of life.
l am familiar with your own great
Boston, and while it is one OF the
freest and one of the most generous
sections OF the nation, for the color
ed man, have repeatedly heard
grumblings among your own colored
population, while l regard Boston
as an earthly paradise compared
with other sections OF this nation.
You speak Of equal laws, with equal
opportunities for material advance
ment. Will you show me an eating
house, from Washington City to the
Rio Grande, along any railroad,
where a colored gentleman or lady,
though worth hundred thousand
dollars, and graduate of your own
Harvard, can sit down and get a
decent meal OF victuals7 Or where
colored person can get permission
to keep a decent eating. place for his
own race, who may chance to be