The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-10-26

Too much stress cannot be laid upon
the fact that Theodore Roosevelt, the
Republican candidate for Vice Presi-
dent and if elected, would be presi-
dent in case of of McKinley's death, is
absolutely and unqualifiedly in favor
of mixed schools. He also gloats in
the fact that his own son once sat
along side of negro child in one of
New York's public schools. 1t was
freely hearlded by the leaders in this
State that Roosevelt would deny this
when he made his speech at Music
Hall last Saturday evening. On this
point however he was as silent as the
grave.
We publish an account of the bill
as enacted, taken from the Brooklyn
Eagle of last March. In a dispatch
from Albany it says:
Senator Elsberg's bill, which pro-
vides that no child be excluded from
the public schools of the State of New
York on account of race or color,
passed the Senate with an emergency
measure from the Governor behind
1t, this morning. There is some sur
prise at the action of the Governor in
this matter, as, outside of the delicate
question involved, the bill was on the
order of third reading and could have
been passed in tie ordinary way. II
will pass the Assembly Monday night
and will doubtless become a law.
The measure, besides the clause ex-
planned, goes even further. 1t repeats
Section 2S, Article II, Title Is of
Chapter $50 of the laws of 1894, which
permits the establishment of seperate
Schools for children Of African decent.
Under this bill the city educational
authorities will find it impossible to
recognize separate schools, and will
be compelled to permit colored chill
dren to enter any public school.
Senator Grady, leader of the Demo
cratic minority, made q vigorous pro-
test against the measure whenever it
appeared, declaring it was merely an
attempt to get back the coIored vote
in New York city, which was lost
through the failure of the Repub-
licans to keep their promises to the
race during Mayor Strong's admins
tration. He believed it would do con-
siderable harm, and no good, and
would arouse question that should
be let alone. 1t was more often, he
added, question of competitive in
telligence than race.
Senator Ellsworth, leader of the
majority, answered Senator Grady,
and on one occasion made one Of the
most eloquent addresses of the session
on the subject of equal rights to all
men. He declared the time had come
to live up to the constitutional amend
mant.
He spoke of schools in his district
where white AMI black studied side
by side in perfect harmony, solving in
race problem.
Senator Grady asked Mr.. Ellsworth
on that occasion if Oh the same ground
he did not believe separate churches
ought to be prohibited, and Senator
Ellsworth said he did.
Senator Elsberg's bill will affect the
Jamaica school district, where sep
arate school for negroes has been es-
tablished at an expense OF some sew
eral thousand dollars. The negroes
must put up long contest through
all the courts of the State to have
their children admitted to the same
schools as the whites, but the Court
of appeals decided against them.
The law which Governor Roosevelt
declared must be passed as an emer-
gency act, and in which he exhibited
the most profound interest, and which
defeats the former decision of the
Court OF Appeals is entitled:
An act to secure equal rights TO
colored children in the s ate of New
York and repeal Section %, Article II,
Title Is of Chapter 556 of the Laws of
1894, entitled 1.-The Consolidated
School Law"
The act became law April 18, 1900,
with the approval of Governor Roose-
welt. Following is the law:
The people of the State of New
York, represented in Senate and As
sembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. No person shall be re-
fused admission into or be excluded
from any public school in the State
of New York on account of race or
color.
Sec. 2. Section %, Article II, Title
Is of Chapter BOO OF the Laws of 1894,
which reads as follows: THE school
authorities of any city or incorpo.
rated village, the schools of which
are or shall be organized under Title
Siof tliis act, may, when they shall