The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-26

There have been so many shooting
affrays and killings of late growing out
OF the carrying of concealed weapons
that 1t was generally thought that pub
lie opinion would favor a more severe
law on the subject. When the matter
came up before the Legislature, how
ever, it was defeated. to the surprise
of every one-and wholly on the negro
question. The legislators from New
Orleans and the white parishes voted
for 1t, but those from the negro par
ishes were almost unanimous against
il. 1t was absolutely necessary, they
said, for white man to go armed
where there were so many negrose The
argument was accepted as valid. IT
means that the white men deem it
prudent to carry weapons in the negro
districts and do not care to have law
that will punish their practice, while
the Bennett License Law will put it
beyond the power of the negroes to get
either arms or cartridges.
AT the meeting at Devall, where Ned
Cobb was killed and the other negroes
regulated" the regulators assembled
laid down their views as to the treat
| tricts of the State They attributed
most of the trouble to the use
of intoxicants and appealed to the
| Police Jury to raise the license on
whiskey so as to put 1t beyond the
reach of the negroes. 1t may be men
toned here incidentally that the Sun
| day law of Louisiana, the chief provi-
sion of which is the prohibition of the
sale of whiskey on Sunday, was mainly
passed on account of the negro. Work
| ing as he does all the week Sunday is
the only day the negro has chance to
get a drink and by closing the saloons
on Sunday he Is kept sober. Ever since
the passage of the law there has been
a war on the question between the city
and the country members. The former
want the beer saloons open; the latter
refuse to grant it because of the de-
moralization that Sunday opening
would cause among the negroes.
The Devan resolutions would seem to
mean the closure of the groggeries pat
ronized by the negroes which could not
afford to pay high license, while the
saloons the whites visit would remain
open.
free from any discrimination because
of race. color or previous condition. II
would be beneficial to the negro: bu1
some negroes are much affronted at the
i idea that the white men should be al
Il lowed to get drinks when they want
/ No, while. they are condemned to pro
hibition.
The Devall's meeting also provided
against the congregation of negroes a
the country stores on holidays, and tn
negro balls and dances. 1t is at thes'
meetings, they said. that racial ami
mosities are aroused and much ba'
blood stirred up.
| 1t is more than coincidence tina
Mayor Capdevielle, the new chief mag
istrate of New Orleans, has announce,
his purpose to refuse in future all ii
censes for negro balls and dances. ol
the ground that these affairs are
nuisance 10 the entire neighborhood
This is probably true. and the negroe
now mostly congregate at SPANS
Fort. which. being hidden away in tn
swamps and a couple of miles fror
anywhere. they are least likely to prov
troublesome. If it is proposed to sto
the negro of one of his greatest de
lights, and a privilege which he hs
enjoyed for two centuries in Louisis
ma and during all the period of SLAYER.
So essential was this amusement bt
!. lieved to be to the peace and quiet {
the black that the early French Go,
ernors set apart square of groun
! in the rear of the city for the negl
dances which from that fact bore unit
a few years ago the name of "Cons
Square" as the Congo negroes wei
: the chief patrons of the dance. and h;
only lately been euphemized In
'Beauregard Park"
Thus. the lines between the races a
: being more. and more rigidly draw
:, with years. until the whites and blacl
!. live in different sections, see less
each other, and have few relations
:, any kind. The Legislature on it's pa
n is doing all in it's power to draw Il
:, color line more distinctly and keep Il
races as far apart as possible.
2 SOCIAL AMENITIES.