The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-04
] R HAWKINS REPLIES
The Colored Principal Answers
Mr.. Blacknall's Charges.
GIVES HIS SIDE or 1T
TELLS OF THE COLORED PUPILS
IN THE WAITING ROOM.
is NOT AFTER SOCIAL EQUALITY
Considers His School, at Kittrell Vim
Dictated by Its Record and by
the High Character OF
Its Friends.
is NOT AFTER SOCIAL EQUALITY

caption Social Equality" etc, signed
by 20. w. Blacknall," in which injustice
is done to me and others connected with
the Kittrell Institute at this place, and
| therefore ask the privilege of reply.
The facts in the case are as follows.
On Thursday, May 27th,I purchased from
the ticket agent here a large number of
tickets for our students who were leav-
ing for their respective homes ON that
day. When those for whom tickets were
purchased arrived at the depot, part of
them went into the waiting room labeled
for colored people, and when that room
was filled, all seats being taken and
some standing, / went to the ticket agent
and politely asked him to please open
the other waiting room SO that our girls
who held tickets could go in out of the
hot SUM- The agent sent his assistant
to unlock the door and our girls went III
and took seats; there was no force, no
invasion and no threats. as there was
no occasion for any such. When the
northbound train arrived all got on and
| Joined them and went as far as Hen
| derson to see that all made proper
| changes there for the west. When l
returned to Kittrell on the 2:1I .. III.
train | was informed that some one had
| ordered Rev. c. q. O'Kelly, dean of the
| faculty. who was in charge of those wait
| ing for the southbouna train, to take
| the students out of one OF the waiting
rooms. and that Mr.. O'Kelly declined to
| do SO on the ground that the other wait
| ing room was full and that there WAS
nowhere else for the students VINO heli
tickets: whenupOn the agent dismissed
| the matter and went to his office on the
other side of the track. There was no
exeTtion. nor even any attempt made to
get students out by force and no threat
made according to the statement of the
ticket agent. who told me this morning
that he knew Of nothing of the kind. AS
TO the annoyance caused the Rev. Mr..
Averitt. | know nothing more than what
was told to me by Mr.. O'Kelly and two
of the lady teachers. viz: that Mr..
Averitt approached Mr.. O'Kelly with
some harsh language to which Mr..
O'Kelly replied using the same language
in return.
The writer does not state facts when
he says ! was present at this occurrence,
as the truth is Twas in Henderson, eight
miles away The only instance in which
the writer quotes me correctly Is. when
he says / wrote TO Capt. WhiSnant. the
superintendent asking that one room be
set apart for ladies and the other for
gentlemen. | did this. not TO force any
issue or social equality. but because /
thought it more in keeping with the
spirit of enlightened Sentiment and the
Christian civilization of q progressive
age. and, as | told Capt Whisnant, be
cause | thought it would serve TO pro-
mote peace and harmony and be more I'm
keeping with law and order | deny the
assertion that | have in any way raised
the issue of social equality" either as
connected with this waiting room buSi-
ness or otherwise. That question did
not and should not enter into it ut all.
1t is a matter of simple justice and should
| be settled on that line.
When Capt. Whisnant replied 10 me
that his company put up signs according
to the orders of the Railroad Commits
sion" | had no more TO say TO him and
knew where to 90 next. if necessary. l
deny that / ever ''incited the negroes to
strive for social equality" 1t is a ques-
ton / never discuss anywhere. 1t needs
no discussion. In the minds of all fair
speech here several years ago, / took oc-
casiou to appeal to my people to he men.
true men. honest men, loyal good men,
to stand by their friends every
where. to stand up for the
right and never compromise
manhood and character. ! refuted the in
Situations that nowhere was the Negro
respected by saying that | had been i'll
many places. among many people. where
the treatment melted out to me was not
as towards a Negro, but as to man.
am not responsible for the biased con-
structions or interpretations Of other fer
tile brains. And just here | take occasion
to inform the public and the writer that
! stand now where | have always stood
on the broad principle of truth, right and
justice to all men, believing as an illus
tTious stateman said. Equality of rights
is the first of rights
As to the white ladies Of Kittrel or
anybody else. being knocked into the
gutter by the "institute girls IS so
foreign to the reputation of our school
that it hardly needs reply. This is the
first we have heard of this. Had anything
like this ever occurred Lere it would nave
been known far and wide.
What Women of one race Knocked IN
to the gutter by the women of another
race in North Carolina and nothing said
about it at the time. Believe i, never.
The proud. brave. noble-hearted. chIyal-
rous and beautiful white women of North
Carolina would never offer or suffer sucn
and the world knows that their brave l1uS-
bands and fathers and brother: would tee
readily defend them against any such
treatment. and the same may be said Of
our own proud. brave, noble-hearted,
chivalrous and beautiful co., ed women !
If North Carolina and their brave nus
bands and fathers and broth2:s. who al
vocate the right
| am glad to inform the public that we
have many evidences of expressions of
good will and kindly feelings existing to-
wards our school from the very best
white people of Kittrell. Many have testi-
fed and still repeat it, even after reading
the article in yesterdays paper. that our
school has been we'll managed and been