The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-28
OPPOSE MELON RUSH -.
Colored People of Pittsburg Indignant
at What They Call Discrimination.

COlOr6Q R6Opl6 OF Plus uER indignant
at What They Call Discrimination.
| Pittsburg, June 2s-Prof. w. H. Fisher,
who has charge of programme Of
amusements at Schenley Park on the oc-
casion of the closing of the public schools
stirred up a hornets nest by his an
nouncement of a watermelon rush. to
| be participated in by forty cOlOred boys
| The rush" was to be prepared for by
] making the boys remove their shoes and
throw them in a heap. Then the contest
ants were to be led short distance
away and started for the pile of Shoes
which, in the meanwhile. were to be
| thoroughly mixed, so that no two mates
lay together The boy first finding and
donning his own footwear was to get a
barrel of watermeIons.
It can readily be conceived that much
| amusement for Infringing people could
be extracted from such a contest; but
there are principles of ethics which enter
into it, and also the danger of injury to
the lads in the mad rush. As to the
ethics several prominent cOlored citizens
sent to the members of the central board
of education the following protest:
There are resident in the city of Pitts
burg q, 900 colOred people, and taxes are
paid by them on more than 81, 000, 900 worth
of property and in consequence they con-
ing the city's institutions of learning;
they look upon the instructors in said in
situations as the publics servants; they
have elected you gentlemen to the board of
education to see to it that the schools are
conducted properly. and that the students,
of whatever color or nationality, are
treated fairly and without prejudice.
THE schools of the city will close, with
a children's jubilee, and the programme
Of arnuserr7p11ts for the dav was a arranged
by a certain Prof. w. H. Fisher, who, in
accordance with the trend of his own
biased and contracted mind, has included
in said programme watermelon rush
LAS representatives of the colored citi-
zens of Pittsburg utter determined
protest against any such innovation. and
we will not. under any circumstances, al
low the proposed rush to take place For
the colored students of the public schools
to be held up as the object of laughter
and ridicule is an outrage, and to do 50
is insult to the intelligence of every
colOred citizen in the community
1T has always been maintained by the
instructors in our public schools that nc
discrimination is made. That so-caned
professor has not only evidenced the
fact that he discriminates, but he is Civ
ing to the student of the opposite race
variety an object lesson in discrimination.
He would not under any circums tances
include in his programme a potato race
for Irish boys, bologna race for Dutch
boys, or a 'macaroni race for italian
boys; but with the malicious eye of the
American by adoption he singles out that
race which fortune of birth has made
with tawny skin.
q Jim Crowism' with the negro has long
since ceased to be a characteristic and
the color of a mans skin is no evidence Of
his intellect We anticipate the argument
that this man Fisher will bring forward
to justify himself, and we feel that any
argument that he might make VIII ha hut
adding insult to injury.
Demanding prompt action on your
part. we are. respectfully yours, s. L.
Pangburn, w. H. Stanton. w NJ Ran
dolph. W. E. Billows. J. NJ. Clark, J. W.
Holmes, George A. Neale, J. W. Gayu-
way and Cornelius Asbury, D. d.