The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-29
NEGRO MOTHERS VICTORY.
now THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WE'RE
OPENED TO MRS. CISCO'S CHILDREN.
The Long Fight That Has Culminated In the
Eisberg law Giving Colored and white
Children Equal Privileges In the Com
mon schools Throughout the state Gov.
kOoseyelts Active Part in the Struggle..

kO0seyelts Active Part In the struggle.
Former Assemblyman George Wallace. who
Is practising law over on Long Island. was
much elated the other day when he received
word that Gov. Roosevelt had signed the Els
berg bill which wipes out the color line In the
public schools of the city OF New York. and In
those Of tho whole State. The enactment
Of tho law was the outcome Of the school fight in
Jamaica. This fight commenced four years
ago when Samuel Is. Cisco, an Afro-American
insisted upon having his children taught in
one Of the public schools that had been de,ig-
mated for the education Of white children eX-
c%lusively, Mr.. Cisco claimed that the Ja-
maica School Board had no legal right TO COM
pei his children to attend a school which the
board had Set aside for negroes. lie owned
real estate in Jamaica and paid taxes for the
support OF the schools for whites rs well as
those for blacks. This. he claimed. gave him
the right TO send hIS children to any public
school providing II was situated in the district
in which no lived. He had four children Of
school age and said that he would fight FOR their
constitutional prerogatives. one Of these pre-
| negatives WAS to be taught Oh the same basis
"a white children.
lie had been sending his children 10 the vii
laye school in Jamaica designated by the School
Board a. tho separate school for colored chill
dren The children did not make good progress
there. he SAID, and were failing to receive
that elementary education which they
were entitled to. There WAS a primary
school near his home known a. the
Brenton avenue school. - he decided 10
send his children there. lie took one OF them
to the school and was told that the coIored
school was the place for them as they would
-, - -. =. ~
The principal Of the Brenton avenue school
would not admit that colored children were ex-
cluded from the school just because they were
colored, but he did say that they could not be-
taken I'm there because the board had provided
a separate school for them The principal told
Mr.. Cisco that lie was getting all that he was
entitled to under the Fifteenth Amendment
Of the Constitution when the school board made
provision to educate his children. Cisco went
home and consulted with his wife and then
brought another of his children to the High
| School Of Jamaica. Again he was turned
away. Then lie said ne would keep his chill
dren home and in that way violate the Com
pulsory Education Act. lie did so and notified
the village authorities about II so that the case
might be- tested in the courts,
The following day the truant officer came
around and arrested HIM. When he was ar
raigned in the Jamaica police court he de-
manded n trial by Jury. This was granted and
tho trial attracted attention In al! parts Of
the State. twas al this time that he sought the
advice OF the law firm Of Wallace a Smith. OF
which the former Assemblyman Is a member.
The trial ended in a verdict Of lcqulttal. Wal
lace said that this was Il sample Of the public
sentiment prevailing. \ Jury Of twelve white
men had decided that co!ored children should bs
admitted 10 schools where there were white chill
dren, counsel con tended, and Cisco concluded 10
make another attempt 10 get his children into
the white schools. When be was again met
with refusal he again declared publicly that
once more. Again he was arrested. This
time he was held for the action Of the Grand Jury
Queens county Court. OF Sessions and the Jury
brought in "a verdict OF not guilty. A few weeks
later Cisco died. This was in April 1901. just
before he died he called his wife TO hs bedside
and made her promise that she would kctp
W the fight She kept that promise.
Mrs, Cisco deiied the authorities 10 arrest
! her. and declared that she would not permit
! her children 10 attend the colored school. II
She could not send them 10 tho whit" school
she said she would bring civil suit against all
the persons who had been lnstrnmcntal III keeping
tie children out. The villng" trustees worried
along Untl the end Of the year when jamaica
became q part OF the city Of Nav York. In the
meantime tney did not attempt TO force Mrs.
cisco Ia send ter children Ia tho COlored school.
They had enough Of the fight.
TN Ine morning OF jan !, lNNN, Wnf0 I1lltlfh
had only been IA part OF New York a few hours.
| Mrs. Cisco took her tlIrtcen-y ear-old son jacob
around 10 the Brcuton avenue school and asked
to have him admitted. She sad that the light
that had been wagcd against the village Of
Jamaica would be continued against the city
or New YORK J. am nov q taS, payer Of The
entitled to the same privileges that a white
this school,"
The teacher addressed was a nervous little
woman who Scarcely knew what answer 10
make. After hesitating Tor some minutes she
tod Mrs. Cisco that the Brenton avenue school
was a primary school and that Jacob Cisco was
far enough advanced to go to the grammar school
which had been known as the Jamaica High
School. The teacher added that Mr.. Jenning-.
the principal, had given instructions 10 all The
teachers to send all colOred children over to
the high school. At the high school the prin-
! cipal showed Mrs. Cisco a letter from
Sipt. Stevens directing him not 10 admit any
colored children Under the, circumstances
| cannot admit the bow. said the principal.
but will follow the snperlntendenti advice
the separate school Tor coIored children, known
"a School 4N
Mrs Cisco objected She said .Lo would
send The boy 10 the nearest school 10 her home
and th1t was the white school. She finally
asked the principal If he would be Wiling 10
give her an official ruling in the case. lie thea
| declared that his reason for not admitting he
boy TO the school was because he was colOred
aud that the school Board had made provision
for the education Of the co.ured children ,
Mrs Cisco tlerrupOn declared thlt she would
not send her children 10 any school, This IN
iorugtion vas .Noat 70 the truant officer and he
called al the Cisco home and de-
clared that he would cause her arrest unless
she Obeycd the law. 80 officially to record
her case she paid another visit Ia the Brcntuu
avenue ,rhoo! and to the Hugh school She
was agaln told hat the law allowed the school
board 10 establish -epHlHt" schools for col
ored children. Then Shn went back home
and waited to be arrested. On the advice
OF friends, however. she cent two ~ her children
10 the Colured school so that their education
might not be neglected pending the settlement
Of tho question. Vacation time coming along
the schools r-opened In the fall, Mrs, Cisco
| took her son Jacob 1gain 10 the Brenton avenue
school, She brought her pastor. the Rev.
l.. ". Tapley along ~ n witness. She met with
the same sort ofa reception "a on previous occa-
sions. Then she sent Jacob To IN. boarding
OF her other children, Roy and Matilda, away
from the colored school In Jamaica and made
one more attempt to get them into the white
| school. She kept them homo when she found
| she could no I get them In and she was promptly
arrested. She was arraigDed before Nlgis-
| time to time until finally the authorities per
| mitted the matter to drop without any decision
having been rendered by the Magistrate,
| After vainly trying to get a case or conviction
on which an appeal could be made. Mrs. Cisco
applied for n peremptory writ Of mandamuI
| her children to the common. schools without
any distinction as 10 their color Mr. Wallace
made the application al a Special Torn Of the
| Supreme Court, but the court denied the mo-
ton. Mrs. Cisco then carried the case 10 the
Appellate Division whore an application was
| emptorv writ Of mandamus should not issue
Tha orJnr " Ds grantpi on statements made